Baseball | May 2

DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University starts a stretch of eight out of 11 games at home this weekend when the Ball State Cardinals come to Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park for a three-game series beginning Friday, May 3 at 3 p.m.
 
Friday's game is Student Appreciation Day. Saturday's 2 p.m. game will have a special graduation ceremony postgame for NIU's 2024 baseball and softball graduates, along with Hometown Heroes Day, Military Appreciation Day and Star Wars Day. Sunday's 1 p.m. game is Family Day with a postgame running of the bases. For more information on this weekend's promotions, log on to the baseball promotions page at NIUHuskies.com. Admission to all NIU baseball games is free.
 
NIU (15-29, 9-12 MAC) won its third Mid-American Conference series of the year last weekend at Central Michigan, taking two out of three games against the Chippewas. It was the first series win against Central Michigan since 2016. The Huskies enter the weekend 2.5 games back of Toledo for the sixth and final MAC Tournament berth. Ball State is tied for fourth with Kent State at 12-9.
 
Freshman Ty Brachbill (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) went the distance in last Friday's series opener, holding CMU to one unearned run on four hits with six strikeouts for his fifth win of the year. It was the seventh time this season Brachbill had at least five strikeouts in a game.
 
Senior catcher Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) enters the weekend leading the MAC in home runs with 18 and is second in RBI with 50. Over his last 10 games, Summerhill has hit .361 with five home runs and 13 RBI. The senior already this season broke the NIU single-season home run record and is closing in on the career home run mark. Summerhill has 29 career home runs which puts him third all-time at NIU and seven behind Rob Marconi's 35 career home runs that he hit from 2001 to 2004.
 
Senior outfielder Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) is currently on an eight-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 11 straight games. He had a 17-game reached base streak earlier this season. During this current eight-game stretch Erato is 13-for-30 at the plate with seven walks. He leads NIU in batting average at .354, walks with 31 and stolen bases with 10.
 
Ball State (25-18, 12-9) stepped out of conference play last weekend for a three-game series at North Carolina State, dropping all three to the nationally-ranked WolfPack. The Cardinals have won 10 of their last 12 conference games, taking two out of three at Western Michigan April 19-21. Junior pitcher Merritt Beeker leads the MAC in strikeouts with 83 and is tied for the league-high in wins with six.
 
NIU is home on Wednesday, May 8 to take on St. Thomas. First pitch is at 3 p.m.
 
--NIU--