The UNI baseball team will begin an important four-game weekend series this evening as they host Evansville in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Panthers have their backs to the wall, as they attempt to secure a berth into the conference tournament. Only the top six teams qualify to theValley tournament. UNI is currently 8-16 and in 8th place in the league but just two games back of Evansville and Indiana State which are tied for 5th place at 10-14. Beginning tonight Northern Iowa has just eight conference games remaining. The Panthers feel they can get into conference postseason play if they can win six of their final eight contests. That will take a consistent effort something coach Rick Heller’s team has lacked to this point. He says they’ve been inconsisten all year, and he says he hopes this is the year it all comes together at the last second.UNI has made some late pushes in recent years to squeeze into the Valley tournament. He says they’re capable of winning six out of eight games. The first of the four-game series is tonight.