DEKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University baseball team seeks its fifth win in the last six games at Ralph McKinzie Field when it hosts the Indiana State University Sycamores Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Tuesday's meeting will be the 15th between NIU and Indiana State with both teams owning a 7-7 record in the series. NIU lost in Terre Haute last season despite 11 hits, and overcoming a 4-0 deficit to take a 6-4 advantage early in the contest.

"The next two midweek games are against two very good opponents," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "We are looking forward to a good midweek set as we prepare for another conference battle this weekend in Muncie (Indiana)."

NIU earned its first Mid-American Conference series' win of the season this past weekend as they took two of three from conference contender the University of Miami (OH). A trio of pitching gems – led by an 11-strikeout performance from freshman Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry), who earned MAC Pitcher of the Week honors – shut down the RedHawks' high-powered offense and held the visitors to only a cumulative .168 batting average and four extra base hits in 101 at-bats.

Huskie pitchers Tanner Foster (St. Charles, Iowa/Southeastern Community College), Lasiewicz and William Anderson (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) combined to record 27 of the team's 33 strikeouts over the three-game set and walked only two batters in the process. What's more is the trio combined for a .127 opponents' batting average and had a collective earned run average of 0.33.

Offensively the duo of Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) and Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) combined for eight of NIU's 15 hits, including three extra base hits, and drove in three runs. Smith led the charge with a .571 batting average as he connected for four hits, including a double, an RBI and a run scored for a .714 slugging percentage. Wood meanwhile had a pair of doubles and drove in two runs for a .667 slugging percentage.

Senior LHP George Faue (Corcoan, Minn./Iowa Central) will take the mound for his seventh start this season, and will be opposed by ISU's Tyler Whitbread (probable). In 12 appearances and 37 innings pitched, Faue has struck out 30 batters while walking only eight.

--NIU--