DEKALB – The NIU baseball team will travel to Chicago this Wednesday to face Chicago State after both teams were unable to play one game each due to rain in Arizona last weekend.  With an un-February forecasted temperature in the mid-60s for Wednesday the two teams determined that Chicago State's turf field would be playable.
 
In the two games the Huskies and Cougars played against each other, Chicago State won 11-1 in their first matchup and then they finished Sunday's game tied at 6-6 after eight innings and more rain washing causing the field to be unplayable after the eighth.
 
In the two games in Arizona, NIU infielder Brad Wood went a total of five for eight for a .625 batting average. Senior pitcher Joe Hawks started the first game against Chicago State and went six innings, giving up one unearned run and striking out three batters.
 
In the 6-6 tie on Sunday, the Huskies came back from down 5-0 after the NIU bullpen of Jon Savarise, Aaron Rumfield and Andrew Frankenreider pitched four innings in relief only giving up one run. The Huskies also drove in five of their six runs with two-outs, the last two of those coming in the top of the eighth when Carl Russell came off the bench and took the first pitch he saw into right field to tie the game.
 
First pitch will be scheduled for 2:00 p.m. central time on Wednesday and Huskies fans can follow the team on Instagram @niu_baseball and on Twitter @NIU_Baseball.