Softball | April 24

DeKALB, Ill. – Starting a five-game homestand, the Northern Illinois University Huskies softball team (17-24, 11-9 MAC) will play host to the University of Akron Zips (23-21, 10-7 MAC) in a Mid-American Conference (MAC) three-game series, April 25-26, at Mary M. Bell Field. The first pitch for Friday's single game is set for 3 p.m., and Saturday's doubleheader will start at 1 p.m. with game three to follow.  
 
Friday's (April 25) game will be Diabetes and Mental Health Awareness games while Saturday (April 26) marks senior day for the Huskies. NIU Softball will honor seniors Kacie Quick (Bloomington, Ill./Normal West), Avery Carnahan (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston), Madison Mathews (Yuma, Ariz./Cibola), and Brianna Pechman (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago Community) prior to first pitch on Saturday.
 
NIU is led by Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) and Pechman in batting average, as they both sit inside the top five in the MAC with averages of .401 and .387, respectively. The duo is joined by Mathews in the top 10 in batting averages within the MAC while Turner is in top 5 for total hits. 

In the pitcher's circle, Madison Carlson (South Beloit, Ill./South Beloit) has the eighth-lowest earned run average in the MAC with a 3.70 ERA. Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) leads the team in strikeouts with 64, landing in the top 10.   
 
In their last outing, the Huskies dropped a 9-2 game to Illinois in the final non-conference game of the season. Stewart was the lone Huskie to record multiple hits in this afternoon's contest as she and Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) scored in the loss.  
 
With just eight games left in the regular season, the Huskies and Zips sit in the top 6 with just a half game difference between the squads. The 2025 MAC tournament runs from May 7-10 in Akron, Ohio with the top six teams advancing.