YPSILANTI, MI – The Northern Illinois University baseball team closes out the 2018 season with a three-game set with Eastern Michigan University at Oestrike Stadium Thursday-Saturday.

The Huskies are looking to rebound from a tough doubleheader loss to the host University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Tuesday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field.

Both Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) and Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) led the offensive attack with three hits apiece over the two contests. Szczasny drove in two runs, including a solo home run in the sixth inning of the first game. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) and Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) each had a pair of hits for NIU as well. RHP Blake Walker (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) started Game 2 and worked three innings, striking out four batters, but didn't factor into the decision.

"Disappointing finish to an otherwise solid midweek non-conference slate," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "They seemed to have our number in game one and in game two we couldn't get the big hit to put us ahead later in the game."

NIU is seeking its third Mid-American Conference series' win after the Huskies took two of three from Bowling Green last weekend in Ohio. As a team, NIU averaged seven runs and 14 hits per game over the three-game set. Collectively the Huskies carried a .350 batting average with nine extra base hits, including two home runs and a .458 slugging percentage.

"Eastern Michigan is going to be a typical grind of a MAC weekend," Kunigonis said. "I'm looking forward to a great three-game set."

Top performers for the Huskies in conference play have been Wood – with a .300 batting average, including eight extra base hits, and Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School), who owns a .275 average with a tea-best 12 RBI.

--NIU--