UNI faces must win situation in final conference games

The UNI baseball team will begin a three-game weekend series at home against Illinois State Friday. The Panthers are in 9th and last place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 2-10 record. Illinois State is 7th in the Valley with a 4-8 mark. UNI needs a late season push if they hope to qualify for the conference tournament, as only the top six teams in the league advance to postseason play. Panther coach Rick Heller feels his team still believes they can make the conference tournament and they’re going to find a way to get in. Heller feels that the Panthers have to play very well in their remaining 12-conference games. He says they know their margin of error is not very big and they have to come out and be focused, and know if they make mistakes they’re probably going to lose.UNI has qualified for the Valley tournament three of the last four years.