Softball | April 14

DeKALB, Ill. – As the Northern Illinois University softball team plays host to host Ohio this Saturday and Sunday, NIU will be celebrating the achievements of its seniors after Sunday's game.

WHEN AND WHERE
The Huskies host the Bobcats Saturday (April 15) at home for a doubleheader. Start times are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Mary M. Bell Field. On Sunday, the three-game series will close with a single game starting at noon. Upon conclusion of the game, fans are encouraged to stick around and celebrate the 2023 senior class!

HOW TO FOLLOW
Each game will be shown on NIUTube on NIUHuskies.com, the Huskie all-access channel. Subscriptions are available for purchase on a daily ($6.95), monthly ($10.95) or annual basis and provides access to all home NIU Athletics events streamed on the website for the purchase period.

Come game time, live stats will be available for the contests as well.

THE HISTORY
In a series which dates to 1985, NIU trails in all-time meetings with Ohio 20-26. The Huskies however have won the last three-of-four meetings, including a series win last season in Athens. NIU hasn't hosted Ohio at Mary M. Bell field since the 2018 campaign.  

LAST TIME OUT
NIU (18-18, 8-6 MAC) sits No. 5 in the Mid-American Conference and is coming off a non-conference doubleheader split with Valparaiso (5-29, 1-12 MVC) this past Tuesday at home. The Beacons took game one in shutout fashion, 3-0, but NIU responded with a 7-1 victory in the closer.

Caitlyn Shumaker led the Huskies at the dish going 2-4, including an RBI triple in game two. She stole a bag and gained four total bases through her four at-bats. On defense, the third baseman racked up two putouts and six assists. Shumaker ranks No. 18 in the nation with .66 stolen bases per-game while the Huskies, as a team, rank No. 10 with 2.47 swipes per-game.

Pitcher Emily Dato (4-1) notched a win in game two after tossing six scoreless innings and allowing just one run. She logged a career-high six strikeouts in her first complete game win of the year.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Ohio (23-17, 13-5 MAC) stands atop the MAC with a .572-win percentage.

Alexis Dawe leads the team and is No. 6 in the MAC with her .375 batting average. Dawe, as well as Emma Hoffner, has collected 39 hits thus far.

Skipp Miller leads the squad in the circle with a team-low 2.69 ERA. She's fanned 90 batters in 130.0 innings which ranks No. 7 in the league.

LOOKING AHEAD
Following this weekend, NIU will play at DePaul Wednesday, April 19, at 2 p.m. for a non-conference single game.

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
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