After a demoralizing welcome to conference play, the Northwestern baseball team will take its musical-chairs infield and rejuvenated offense on a short day trip today for a nonconference matchup at Valparaiso.
The Cats (11-16, 1-3 Big Ten) salvaged the final game of a four-game series at Illinois over the weekend behind Travis Tharp’s two home runs, but have to turn right around for today’s game – their only midweek road trip of the regular season.
Over the weekend, Illinois exploited many of NU’s weaknesses, including the Cats’ inconsistency in the field. Coach Paul Stevens used three different infield combinations in the four games, and four players started at two different positions in the series.
The Cats’ error-prone defense has been a source of frustration for Stevens all season, but he said he might finally have the right recipe. Ken Padgett started all four games in his new infield role – committing only one error at shortstop – while Tharp provided an offensive boost at first and sophomore Eric Roeder has settled in as the team’s second baseman.
“One day you can look like a world-beater and the next day the world’s beating you,” Stevens said. “You catch a ball here and there, and that (Illinois) series would have turned out differently.”
A midweek start against nonconference opponents has become a coveted commodity among NU hurlers, and junior Zach Schara will get the nod today following a strong performance against the Fighting Illini on Friday. While it might throw some pitchers off their rotation schedule, Schara said he thrives in midweek games.
“They serve as a booster for the weekend,” he said. “It’s kind of like throwing in a (bull)pen for me, only I get more out of it. They keep me sharp and on point.”
After disappointing offensive performances last week in the first game versus Illinois and against Wisconsin-Parkside – NU mustered only 12 hits in the two games – the Cats’ bats have come alive, knocking in 38 runs in the final three games of the Illinois series.
Another reason for NU’s continued optimism despite its youth and troublesome holes is the fact that it dropped the first four games of its Big Ten schedule last season and still made the conference tournament. For now, the Cats remain upbeat.
“As soon as you start feeling despair, that’s when the losing streaks pile up,” Schara said.
The hourlong ride to Valparaiso (9-10) could serve as a confidence boost for Stevens and his Cats for next weekend’s Big Ten home opener against Purdue. NU defeated the Crusaders 16-5 at Valparaiso in their only matchup last season, and the Crusaders have already dropped two games to Big Ten opponents Indiana and Purdue so far this season.
Meanwhile, the Cats are trying to notch a win after dropping 10 of their last 13 games.
“Some guys came full circle over the weekend,” Stevens said. “If that continues, we are going to be interesting.”
