Just thinking out loud (and in print):

DeKALB – It's all hands on deck for the Northern Illinois pitching staff this week.

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Northern Illinois baseball team (22-32, 16-11 MAC) clinched its first ever Mid-American Conference West division championship Saturday afternoon in 10 innings at Ball Diamond as the Huskies defeated Ball State (28-23, 15-12 MAC) on Connor Schomig’s three-run double, 6-4. NIU will begin the MAC Tournament in Avon, Ohio May 22-25 at All Pro Freight Stadium. It is the Huskies highest-ever seeding in the MAC Tournament.

MUNCIE, Ind. - Northern Illinois reliever Zach Badgley worked 4.2 innings for Huskies, limiting Ball State to one run, two hits and two strikeouts. NIU (21-32, 15-11 MAC) would fall to BSU (28-22, 15-11 MAC) in game two of the series, 14-3. Tomorrow’s game will now decide the Mid-American Conference West division champion.

DeKALB – Northern Illinois senior Jamison Wells told his young baseball teammates not to concern themselves with the coaches’ poll that ranked them last in the MAC West.

The San Francisco 49ers announced they have signed fullback Jason Schepler to a three-year deal.

DeKALB – Northern Illinois baseball coach Ed Mathey will watch game tape after the Huskies' 12-7 loss to Eastern Michigan, which came on the heels of a 17-12 loss the day before. He'll dissect his pitchers' mechanics in hopes of finding a few easy fixes.

DeKALB, Ill. – It was a hitters day at Ralph McKinzie Field with winds blowing out from home plate to cause havoc to players on the field. Though Northern Illlinois (21-27, 15-8 MAC) took advantage of those opportunities, Eastern Michigan (23-26, 10-13 MAC) capitalized more to defeat the Huskies, 17-12. Joe Battaglia was 2-for-2 with two RBI and run, including a pinch-hit homerun.

TOLEDO, Ohio – For the first time since March 22-24 versus Kent State, the Northern Illinois baseball team (20-26, 14-7 MAC) dropped a series, falling in game three at Toledo (19-27, 10-11 MAC), 9-2.

DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team rallied to win its sixth straight posting a 5-4 victory over Bowling Green at Mary M. Bell Field Sunday on Senior Day.

ASHPORT, Ohio -- Senior Bryce Emory of the Northern Illinois men’s golf team climbed into a tie for 14th with a final round 69 on Sunday in the Mid-American Conference Championship at Longaberger Golf Club.

The Northern Illinois University softball team continued its dominance in league play with a 3-0 shutout over Bowling Green at Mary M. Bell Field Saturday.

TOLEDO, Ohio – Northern Illinois (20-25, 14-6 MAC) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning at Toledo (18-26, 9-11 MAC) Saturday but the Rockets countered back with two runs in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead and hold it to defeat the Huskies, 6-3. Sophomore Micah McCulloch led NIU at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with a run and two doubles. Northern Illinois outhit the Rockets, 11-10.

DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team swept its third doubleheader of the season when the Huskies took two from Toledo on a cold and rainy day at Mary M. Bell Field Friday.

TOLEDO, Ohio - Junior pitchers Eli Anderson and Kevin Sweeney combined for Northern Illinois second shutout of the season in Toledo as the Huskies (20-24, 14-5 MAC) defeated the Rockets (17-26, 8-11 MAC), 4-0. Freshman Tommy Hook finished 2-for-5 with three RBI and a triple.

NASHPORT, Ohio -- The Northern Illinois men’s golf team sits in ninth-place after Friday’s first two rounds of the Mid-American Conference Championship at Longaberger Golf Club. Redshirt senior Griffin Bauman paced the Huskies with a 36-hole total of 149, he enters Saturday’s third round tied for ninth overall.

DeKALB – Ed Mathey knew his Northern Illinois baseball team had a lot to prove this season.

Threloff spent three years at Illinois State and averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 rebounds as a sophomore last season.

CHICAGO, Ill. – A five-hit five run rally in the top of the eighth inning for Northern Illinois (19-24) overcame a 5-2 UIC (20-21) lead as the Huskies went on to extinguish the Flames, 7-5. Seven different NIU players drove in the runs with Joe Battaglia leading the way again for the Huskies on a 2-for-3, one home run, two run night at Les Miller Field. Jeff Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to nine games on a 2-for-5 night with a double, an RBI and a run.

CHICAGO – The Northern Illinois University softball team suffered a 2-0 setback to DePaul at Cacciatore Stadium Wednesday.

After almost five years at Northern Illinois, Jeff Compher will take over as East Carolina’s athletic director today. Before leaving DeKalb, Compher talked with Daily Chronicle sports writer Steve Nitz about his tenure in DeKalb and the future of the athletic department.

Former Crete-Monee guard played limited minutes at Kansas State last season.

DeKALB, Ill. – Down 5-0 in the bottom of the seventh to Miami (Ohio) (20-22, 10-8 MAC), the Northern Illinois baseball team (18-23, 13-5 MAC) rallied back to within one run but was unable to get over the hump as the Huskies fell to Redhawks, 6-4. Pitcher/designated hitter Alex Klonowski (Kearney, Mo./Kearney) finished 3-for-5 with two RBI in the game. Northern Illinois outhit Miami (Ohio), 11-9.

NASHPORT, Ohio –The Northern Illinois University women’s golf team was unable to gain ground in the final round of play and finished eighth at the 2013 Mid-American Conference Women’s Golf Championships at Longaberger Golf Course Sunday.

DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team completed the sweep of Ohio with a 3-2 victory over the Bobcats at Mary M. Bell Field Sunday.

NASHPORT, Ohio –The Northern Illinois University women’s golf team is in eighth place after the second round of play at the 2013 Mid-American Conference Women’s Golf Championships at Longaberger Golf Course Saturday.

Ashford, Baxter and Moore also agree to free-agent deals

DeKALB, Ill. – A two out, bases loaded walk-off single by Alex Klonowski (Kearney, Mo./Kearney) overshadowed a complete game pitching effort by Eli Anderson (Glenview/New Trier) as Northern Illinois (18-22, 13-4 MAC) defeated Miami (Ohio), 4-3, to clinch the series. The Redhawks (19-22, 9-8 MAC) took the lead in the top of ninth, 3-2, before NIU’s two out rally. The Huskies have driven in 46 runs with two outs in their 17 MAC contests.

DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team used the long ball to knock off Ohio, 2-0, in Mid-American Conference play at Mary M. Bell Field Saturday.

DEKALB – The Northern Illinois men’s tennis team went the distance with Western Michigan Saturday in the Mid-American Conference men’s tennis championship match, but came up short in a tough 4-3 loss to the Broncos.

Issues? You know I always have issues.

DeKALB, Ill. – Freshman Justin Ruckman (Kankakee/Herscher) threw a two-hit complete game, Northern Illinois’ second such performance of the season, as the Huskies (17-22, 12-4 MAC) defeated Miami (Ohio), 3-1. It was NIU’s seventh complete game of the season and the first of Ruckman’s career. He completed the game with two hits, one earned run, two walks and five strikeouts.

DEKALB  – The Northern Illinois men’s tennis team pulled off a huge upset Friday, as they upset number one-seeded Ball State, 4-2, in the Mid-American Conference tournament semi-finals

DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team split its doubleheader with Akron at Mary M. Bell Field Friday.

Jason Schepler is ready do whatever an NFL team may ask of him.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Northern Illinois baseball team (16-22) outhit Iowa in a midweek affair, 6-4, but the Hawkeyes would prevail in the end, 3-2. Both teams committed one error in the game with both of them leading to runs scored in the game. Freshman Tommy Hook finished 2-for-3 in the game with a triple, two runs and a walk. NIU’s pitching staff combined for eight walks in the effort.

Rashaan Melvin didn’t waste any time.

DEKALB, Ill. – Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Northern Illinois University softball team scored a pair of runs but was unable to complete the comeback as the Huskies fell to UIC, 5-4, at Mary M. Bell Field Wednesday.

Conference bought out school's Orange Bowl ticket allotment.

Harnish, English and more on the list

ATHENS, Ohio – A five inning pitchers dual gave way to a Northern Illinois (16-21, 11-4 MAC) slugfest as the Huskies combined for 11 hits in the last four innings against Ohio (9-27, 5-10 MAC) to defeat the Bobcats, 10-3. Pitcher Alex Klonowski picked up his fourth win of the season with seven shutout innings and seven strikeouts.

BUFFALO – The Northern Illinois University softball team won its sixth-straight league game and swept its second-straight doubleheader when the Huskies took two from Buffalo at Nan Harvey Field Sunday.

Players in favor of continuing Huskie Bowl tradition

DeKALB – Juwan Brescacin leaped and fought two defenders for the ball.

ATHENS, Ohio – Like a heavyweight title fight, Northern Illinois (14-21, 9-4 MAC) and Ohio ((9-6, 5-8 MAC) traded blows in game one of its Mid-American Conference series Friday. It was the Bobcats that would prevail however, as they defeated the Huskies, 5-4. Ohio responded with runs in two of the Huskies three scoring innings.

KENT, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University softball team swept Kent State in Mid-American Conference softball at Diamond at Dix Friday afternoon. 

Buffalo Grove guard Luke Potnick has committed to Northern Illinois.

Rod Carey made his head coaching debut in Northern Illinois’ Orange Bowl appearance in January. Now he’s settled into getting the Huskies prepared for the next step. Carey, who is also relatively new to Twitter (@niucoachcarey), will take center stage at Wrigley Field when he throws out the ceremonial first pitch and sings “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch of Wednesday’s Cubs-Rangers game.

Jeremy Kenny sparred in the Kaneland wrestling room as a high school student in the early 2000s. He often remained after workouts, a practice that helped pave the way to Kenny getting his name painted on the wall.

Since 2005, Northern Illinois has had its football games broadcast on WSCR-670 AM, The Score.