Scouting reports can come in handy, especially in a sport like softball.

But this weekend, it’s pretty safe to say that the Northwestern softball team won’t have any useful ones available.

Of the five teams the Wildcats (4-5-1) are scheduled to play in a three-day tournament in Louisville, Ky., two – Belmont (3-10) and Louisville (4-8) – have never faced NU.

And the Cats haven’t seen any of their other three opponents recently: Northern Iowa (9-2) hasn’t played NU in 22 years, Toledo (0-0) hasn’t played NU in nine years and Kent State (1-4) hasn’t been on the same field with the Cats since 1983.

NU is coming off a lukewarm performance at the San Diego State tournament two weeks ago, finishing 2-2-1.

Although NU batted an impressive tournament average of .333, the Cats neutralized their offensive production by allowing opponents a .336 average.

The latter will have to change if NU hopes to push its winning percentage over .500 for the first time this season.

Leading the offense for the Cats this weekend will be senior catcher Gretchen Barnes, who first-year head coach Kate Drohan recently called the “heart of the team.”

Barnes was named this season’s first Big Ten Player of the Week for her performance in the San Diego State Tournament, in which she belted two home runs to go along with nine RBIs and a scorching .556 average.

NU goes up against Northern Iowa and Louisville on Friday, Belmont and Toledo on Saturday and then closes the weekend with a game against Kent State.

Northern Iowa should be NU’s most formidable foe. The Panthers are the only one of the Cats’ five opponents to boast a winning record, and they have already upended a Big Ten team this year, defeating Wisconsin 4-2.

The matchup with the Panthers will have some added flavor because Northern Iowa assistant Christy Hebert was part of the NU coaching staff prior to the 2001 season. This will be Hebert’s first matchup against her former team.