THE NEED TO KNOWS
Toledo, Ohio | Mercy Field
Friday - 6:05 p.m.
Saturday - 2:05 p.m.
Sunday - 12:05 p.m.
Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/toledo/baseball/
 
DEKALB – The NIU baseball team (4-16) will open Mid-American Conference play this weekend as they travel to Toledo to face the Rockets in a three-game series. Despite their record, the Huskies look to feed off of individual positives coming off of the last few weekend series.
 
Offensively, NIU has five players hitting .280 or higher in Jacob Dunham (.323), Roderick Bynum (.320), Jesus Tovar III (.302), Carl Russell (.294) and Samuel Vega (.280). Vega currently has a eight-game hitting streak, is tied for the team lead with eight RBIs, has the most multi-hit games this season (8) and is tied for the most mutli-RBI games (2) in 2017.
 
Russell is coming off of a 2-3 day at Notre Dame last Tuesday, where he scored the only run of the game for the Huskies after hitting a double to left. Dunham is coming on as of late, seeing time either behind the plate or at the designated hitter spot, he combined for four hits in the final two games at Michigan to lead the team in batting average in 12 games played.
 
On the mound, NIU starters Donovin Sims and Joe Hawks are coming off of back-to-back solid outings with each earning a win along with closer Ryne Blanton throwing three-straight scoreless appearances earning two saves in the process.
 
Sims has gone eight innings in his past two starts, earning MAC West Pitcher of the Week two weeks ago and Hawks got his first win of the year in NIU's win over Michigan last Saturday. Blanton has been handed the ball ten times this season, leading all NIU pitchers in appearances, pitching 13 innings, striking out 14 and only walking three.
 
Toledo will send three seniors to the mound this weekend in left-handers Steven Calhoun and Ross Achter for games one and two and finishing the series with righty Sam Shutes. Achter has the best ERA of the three pitchers with a 2.16 in 25 innings striking out 26 and walking 14.
 
Four Rockets' hitters have started all 20 games for Toledo, AJ Montoya, Dalton Bollinger, Matt Hansen and Ross Adolph. Montoya, listed as an outfielder/catcher, is hitting a team-high .297 with one home run and 16 RBIs, eight doubles and 27 strikeouts. Adolph leads the team with three long balls on the year
 
After this weekend's series, the Huskies will play a midweek game at UIC on Tuesday before their home opening three-game series at Ralph McKinzie Field against Bowling Green. HuskieBall fans can follow the team on Instagram @niu_baseball and on Twitter @NIU_Baseball.