Huskies Compete in NCAA Championships, Baseball Opens Home Slate
DEKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University (NIU) athletes are set to compete in several events this week, including the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio and the start of the baseball home season. The NIU gymnastics team will also compete at the MAC Championships, even as men’s and women’s tennis teams will host conference matches.
Wrestling
The NIU wrestling team will send Markel Baker and Devon Dawson to the NCAA Championships, taking place from March 19-21 in Cleveland. This marks the 55th consecutive year that a Huskie wrestler has competed at the national tournament. Baker, seeded No. 8 at 133 pounds, boasts a 15-match win streak and will face Will Betancourt of Rider in the opening round. Dawson, seeded No. 11 at 285 pounds, will compete against Cal Poly’s Trevor Tinker. Both wrestlers secured their NCAA berths by winning Mid-American Conference (MAC) titles earlier in March. NIU Athletics, Northern Star
Baseball
The NIU baseball team begins its home schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Miami, the defending MAC champions. The Huskies enter with a 10-7 record after their season-opening road trip. Senior designated hitter Caden Robertson leads the MAC with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs, currently on a seven-game streak with a home run. Senior pitcher Max Vaisvila has won his last three starts and ranks second in the MAC with 31 strikeouts. Miami currently holds a 13-5 overall record and a 5-1 MAC record.
Softball
The NIU softball team will travel to Athens, Ohio, for a three-game series against the Ohio Bobcats, beginning on Friday, March 20. The Huskies are coming off a 2-1 weekend in conference play.
Gymnastics
The NIU gymnastics team will compete at the MAC Championships on Saturday, March 21, at Bowling Green. Dawsyn Sallee has the sixth-highest NQS score in the conference on vault (9.810), while Jocelyn Harbeck recently competed as an all-arounder for the first time this season.
Men’s Tennis
The NIU men’s tennis team will host Buffalo on Thursday, March 19, and Toledo on Saturday, March 21. The Huskies are 11-5 overall and 2-1 in MAC play. Iker Gaztambide Arrastia is ranked No. 63 in the latest ITA Men’s Tennis DI rankings, the first NIU player to be ranked in singles in at least a decade.
Women’s Tennis
The NIU women’s tennis team will host Buffalo on Friday, March 20, and travel to Western Michigan on Sunday, March 22. Isabella Righi and Lucia Yecora have won their last three doubles matches, while Rebeca Garcia Miralles is on a 12-match winning streak.
Women’s Golf
The NIU women’s golf team will compete at The Nashville Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 23-24. Sophomore Mia Raines led the Huskies at the Valspar Invitational earlier this month.