Softball | April 21

DeKALB, Ill. – After a short break from league play, the Northern Illinois University softball team returns to Mid-American Conference action this weekend as it travels to Toledo for its seventh conference series of the year.

WHEN AND WHERE
After a slight schedule change yesterday, the Huskies and Rockets will play a doubleheader tomorrow (April 22) with start times of noon and 2 p.m. CT at the Scott Park Softball Complex in Toledo. The three-game series will close Sunday (April 23) with a single game. First pitch is slated for noon CT.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Game one and game two on Saturday will stream live on ESPN3. Sunday's game will not be live streamed; however, live stats will be available for all contests.  

THE HISTORY
In a series that dates to 1984, NIU leads in its all-time series with Toledo 43-33. Last season, Toledo won the three-game series against NIU in DeKalb. The Huskies took game two, 9-8, but fell in games one and three.

LAST TIME OUT
NIU (20-19, 9-7 MAC) sits No. 5 in the league standings and is coming off a non-conference road victory over DePaul this past Wednesday. The Huskies shut out the Blue Demons 6-0 after pitcher Lily Cassell (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) tossed six scoreless innings.

Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) stole one base in the win to bring her season total to 26, tying NIU's single season record.

Four other Huskies are in double-figure steals this season: Courtney James (Fishers, Ind./Fishers) has 15, Ally Rodriguez (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) and Cara Cruthers (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) have 13 while Fiona Crane (Evergreen Park, Ill./Mother McAuley) has 10 to her name.   

The Huskies, as a team, average 2.62 swipes per game, the seventh most in D-I softball.  

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Toledo (16-21, 9-10 MAC) enters the weekend No. 8 in the MAC after winning two games against Kent State on the road last weekend.

Four Rockets are batting north of .300: Anna Dixon leads the bunch batting .356 with 37 hits to her name. In the circle, Erin Hunt has a team-low ERA of 2.27 and 139.0 innings pitched.

LOOKING AHEAD
After this weekend, the Huskies will return to Mary M. Bell Field for a three-game series with Western Michigan April 25-26.

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