Last weekend, the NIU softball team walked off the field at Auburn University five times in frustration.

True, the Huskies faced monster competition, but softball coach Donna Martin’s team strives high, and the losses left a bitter mark as the Huskies (0-5) dropped contests to Purdue, Syracuse, Ohio and Auburn — including a tough 2-1 loss to the Boilermakers on Saturday.

“We are all very frustrated right now,” Martin said Sunday, after the Huskies got blanked 5-0 by Purdue. “But hopefully we will show some character the next couple of weekends.”

NIU gets its chance this weekend when it takes on DePaul, Western Illinois and Missouri at the Mizzour Round Robin tournament. Martin said the Blue Demons will give her team a stiff challenge, as DePaul has qualified for the NCAA World Series the last two years.

“They’re just a solid team,” she said. “They have good pitching and they usually hit the ball very well. They’re very aggressive.”

Mid-American Conference coaches picked NIU, the defending MAC champ, to finish second in the preseason poll. The Huskies dominated MAC play last year, going 19-3 in the conference and 33-22 overall.

But the Huskies struggled with consistency last weekend, particularly on the mound, giving up 49 hits and and 29 runs. Senior Courtney Witvliet provided a bright spot, giving up just 4 runs in the 2-1 loss to Purdue.

Martin noted that strong pitching will be crucial, as well as hitting with players on base.

The Huskies battle the Blue Demons at 10 a.m. Saturday and the Westerwinds at 4 p.m. NIU completes pool play against the host Tigers on Sunday.

“We just need to take ourselves and do things that put us in a position to win ballgames at the end of the game,” Martin said.