After winning two out of three games last weekend, Northwestern is plans to ride that momentum into a challeging three-game set at the Metrodome this weekend.
Two of NU’s three upcoming opponents-Oklahoma State and Minnesota-played in an NCAA regional final in 2009. Both return a number of players from those squads. Oklahoma State, a perennial powerhouse, has made it to the NCAA regional round four years in a row and Minnesota swept NU in three games last season, finishing second in the Big Ten.
Impressive résumés, to be sure. But with all due respect to the Cowboys and Gophers, the Wildcats are hardly shaking in their cleats in anticipation of this weekend’s test at the Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis.
The Cats are eager to see how they measure up against two of the top teams in college baseball.
“We’re really excited to play against those guys,” freshman centerfielder Arby Fields said. “Nobody seems shaken or rattled or anything. We know we can play with these teams.”Coach Paul Stevens said the key for his team is to approach these games the same way they would against any other team.
“Anytime you’re going into a series playing teams the caliber of Oklahoma State, you have to take it one pitch, one opportunity, one game at a time,” Stevens said.
NU (2-5) knows firsthand the dangers of taking a team too lightly. After NU was swept in its first tournament, Stevens thought the team toughed out two victories at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge in part because its opponents underestimated his crew.
“Some people last weekend maybe didn’t give us the respect that some of our guys thought we deserved, and we pulled out a couple of games that maybe we weren’t supposed to,” Stevens said. “Our guys want to prove themselves to the teams they’re playing against and keep moving forward.”
The Cats will need to shore up their defense if they plan on being giant-killers this weekend. NU has committed 21 errors in seven games, compared to eight by its opponents.
Much of the team’s struggles in the field have been a result of experimenting with players in different positions, a problem Stevens said is compounded by the team’s youth.
Oftentimes seven of NU’s nine players on the field are underclassmen.
“When you’re looking at the amount of people on the field that are freshmen and sophomores, and you’re asking them to play different positions than what they were recruited for, it’s tough,” Stevens said.
One of those underclassmen is Fields. The freshman has committed one error and said he was confident the players’ glove work will improve as they play more games together.
“It’s not just one guy, it’s a team thing,” he said. “There are new guys starting in new spots. The more we’re playing together, the more we’ll get comfortable with each other.”
The Cats will play at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, the former major league ballpark of the Minnesota Twins. They will look to ride the momentum from last weekend’s performance, when they took two of three games, including a gritty come-from-behind victory over Connecticut.
“The big thing I took from (the Connecticut game) was we went down 4-1 having had a very bad inning, and all of a sudden we came back,” Stevens said. “That’s character, that’s the intestinal fortitude that I’m looking for. That shows guys are learning and guys are growing.”[email protected]
