DEKALB, Ill. – The defending Mid-American Conference West Division champion Northern Illinois University softball team will have to face challenging nonconference foes, as well as the always difficult conference slate, as it looks to defend its 2016 division crown and pursue a MAC title as the Huskies' 2017 schedule was released Friday.
 
NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe has composed a schedule that will test the Huskies, prepare them for the ever-challenging MAC schedule, conference tournament and a potential NCAA berth.
 
"The schedule definitely sets us up to, if we do what I know we're capable of, we can definitely try to fight for an at large bid, should we not come out on top in the MAC Tournament," Sutcliffe said.  "Ultimately, that's the goal of our conference and NIU's, to get two teams from the MAC into that NCAA tournament."
 
The Huskies, who recorded their first 30-win season in 16 years and back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1999 and 2000, open the 2017 campaign in California in a tournament hosted by San Diego State. One of five preseason tournaments NIU will take part in, the Huskies will play in three different parts of the country and face solid competition at each stop.
 
"Starting the season out in San Diego State and playing some great completion out there, we'll get some nice RPI games right off the bat and kind of test to see where we are," she said. "We'll just see where we're at. Playing Ohio out there will definitely give us a nice perspective of exactly where we'll fall within our conference and within in the country."
 
NIU will face Rutgers twice, Washington and Ohio in San Diego. Washington finished ninth in last season's RPI rankings and is one of three teams the Huskies will face in its nonconference slate. The Huskies will face Tulsa and Kansas in Beaumont, Texas at the Cardinal Classic hosted by Lamar. Both teams finished in the top 50 in RPI in 2016.
 
"We have an RPI strategy that we are definitely trying to use. We'll see if it pays off or not," Sutcliffe said. "Last year, we got into the 40s, so we think we are doing the right thing. We are not a youthful team anymore. This is the year to do it and try to up the schedule and see what we can do."
 
After tournaments at Southern Illinois, Murray State and at Iowa, the Huskies return home Mar. 24, 2017 for an eight-game homestand. The Huskies open the eight-game stretch with a series against MAC East foe Akron. The season-opening homestand is part of 17 games that will be played at Mary M. Bell Field. The Huskies will also close out the 2017 season at home with a series against Toledo. Sutcliffe believes playing at home the final weekend will be key for NIU.
 
"I think what's going to help us realistically down the stretch is our last weekend we are home this year," she said. "Last weekend, we are home, take our finals, then head out to Firestone Stadium. It's going to make a big difference than being on the road and coming home for less than 24 hours and then getting back to that tournament. So hopefully that will allow our bodies to rest a little bit more and mentally prepare us a little bit better."
 
Following the season-ending series with Toledo, NIU hopes to be one of the eight-league teams fortunate to make it to Akron, Ohio for the 2017 MAC Tournament. The tournament will take place, May 10-13 and will be once again held at Firestone Stadium.
 
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