Northern Illinois is a well-coached, tough, tough, good baseball team.

They really are. I competed against them one time, I believe, at Notre Dame.

They battle a lot to start the season. I went through the weather in that part of the country to get out of the gates.

It's not, it's not easy. That was a well-coached, disciplined, tough team.

We threw put-away pitches that did not put them away,

like we would expect when they're executed.

Well-coached, good variety and balance in the lineup,

and the arms clearly know that they're doing the left and through 37

pitches on Friday, is that right? And came back in 30 90 today and sliced and diced and did a

great job. So that's an incredible season for a well-coached good team. To wrap this up tonight in the manner we did,

to have these guys stand there and fight.

I told you, these guys will show up and they will fight.

And sometimes I wish it wasn't such a dog fight.

Maybe at some point we'll experience more of those.

Tomorrow would be wonderful.

But they will show up and they will battle.

I assess that game in a couple ways.

Was it one of the best defensive games we've played or was it one of the worst?

It's hard to assess that the line drive of second base to start it.

The plays he made at first base around the bag and then the three to one late.

Dow, the game challenges you.

So Dow loses that fly ball, never happened to him in his career.

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