BASEBALL

Senior shortstop Jon Mikrut’s 9-for-16 performance in Northwestern’s 3-1 series win over Iowa this weekend had coach Paul Stevens worrying about jinxing his player by talking about him.

But Stevens did say he expects an award for Mikrut after the weekend.

“If he’s not Big Ten Player of the Week, I don’t know who else,” Stevens said. “With the numbers he’s put up all weekend, give me a break.”

Along with his nine hits, Mikrut totaled six RBIs and two walks.

In the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, with the Wildcats (21-18, 10-10 Big Ten) down 4-0 in the bottom of the third, Mikrut hit a two-RBI single up the middle to put NU on the board.

After the Cats tied the game at four, Mikrut came to the plate with a runner on third and hit his second home run of the season over the left field fence, giving NU a lead it would not relinquish.

“Coach just gave me the green light on 3 and 0,” Mikrut said. “I was looking for a fastball there and I got one. The wind was blowing out, and I was just trying to drive something hard and I got a good piece of it.”

After going 6 for 11 in the first three games of the series, Mikrut didn’t cool off in the finale. He went 3 for 5 in the final game of the series.

With NU down 4-3 in the fifth inning Sunday, Mikrut delivered at the plate again with an RBI triple, tying the game at four. He would later score from third on a wild pitch, putting the Cats up 5-4.

“Building into this weekend, I had some confidence coming from Tuesday’s game and then into Friday and Saturday, ” Mikrut said. “I felt good at the plate. I felt like I was being a bit more patient and I was more selective, so I was getting better pitches to hit and I hit some.”

Before NU’s game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Mikrut was batting .214.

Four games later, Mikrut has increased his batting average to .270.

Mikrut tied a team-high with 12 assists in the series to go with one error.

For the season he has a fielding percentage of .976 with four errors.

“With the way he plays defense, he’s got to be a candidate for Big Ten Player of the Week,” Stevens said.

After senior closer Chris Hayes came into the dugout for the bottom of the tenth after pitching more than two innings, Mikrut — who saved a team-high five games last year — went to the bullpen to warm up.

Mikrut wasn’t used because Hayes came back out for the eleventh and completed the game.

“He’s been doing everything we’re asking him to,” Stevens said. “He did a great job all weekend.”

Reach Abe Rakov at [email protected].