CEDAR FALLS - Nick Kirk opened the Missouri Valley Conference baseball season by pitching Northern Iowa's first no-hitter in 15 seasons.

Since that electrifying, 15-strikeout performance in late March against Evansville, the Panther southpaw has battled tightness in his forearm and hasn't worked past the fifth inning in any of his five starts.

But when the Panthers take the field for their most important game of the season at 11 a.m. Wednesday against Southern Illinois in Wichita, Kan., at the Missouri Valley tournament, Kirk will be on the mound.

"It is a dice roll," UNI head coach Rick Heller said. "I'm hoping we can get six innings out of him. Anything else would be a big bonus."

Based on the matchup and Kirk's pinpoint control, the Panthers decided on him over Guido Fonseca, who is 8-2 and has been the team's top starter the past six weeks.

Kirk pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs versus the Salukis in late April. Fonseca, meanwhile, yielded 10 runs (six earned) and walked five in four innings.

"If you beat Nick, you hit him," Heller said. "It's not like he gives many freebies. And if we want to win this thing, we thought this was what we needed to do."

The junior is fresh after pitching only five innings in the last 15 days, including two frames of relief against Missouri State last Friday.

"I'm pretty pumped because I feel I'm getting back to 100 percent," said Kirk, who has a 4-6 mark and 4.01 ERA in 60 2/3 innings. "But it's the end of the year, and I'll leave it all on the field.

"If I have to go eight or nine innings, I'll do it whether I'm throwing 72 or 92."

Heller said Kirk's velocity has improved in his last two outings, going from low 80s to 87 and 88 in his last two appearances. In addition to that, he's back to throwing his out pitch - the slider.

During his injury, Kirk relied heavily on a fastball and changeup.

"It's going to make him a better pitcher," Heller said. "Usually when things like this happen, you're forced into the role of a 37-year-old big leaguer trying to stick around and finding another pitch. Doing it at 22, like he has with the changeup, it will help him down the road."

Kirk is hoping to pitch UNI (29-22, 14-10 MVC) to its first tournament win in six years. In fact, nobody on the Panthers' current roster has competed in the postseason tournament since it's the school's first appearance since 2003.

"I really believe we're going to make a run at this," senior Brett Featherston said.

UNI, however, is coping with injuries. Outfielder Deric Manrique is battling a wrist injury that will require surgery after the season, and shortstop Brandon Douglas didn't practice Monday because of a strained groin.

Heller believes Douglas will play but could be relegated to a designated hitter role.

"It's not an ideal situation for us, but we're a good enough team we can still go down there and win some games," Heller said. "Our pitching is good enough we can beat anybody.

"But we're going to have to have some guys step up and fill holes."

The fourth-seeded Panthers are eager about the matchup, too. SIU took two of three from UNI last month in Waterloo, including a seven-run ninth inning in the series finale that sent the Panthers into a six-game tailspin.

"We didn't give them a good showing," Douglas said. "It'd be nice to go down there and stick it to them."

And with the top two seeds earning first-round byes, the opening game is critical.

If UNI wins and third-seeded Creighton knocks off sixth-seeded Bradley, the Panthers are guaranteed to be in the tournament until Friday. If UNI loses its opener, it faces an elimination game Wednesday night against the loser of Creighton and Bradley.

"That's in the back of our mind," Featherston said, "but in the front of our mind is winning that first game and staying in the winner's bracket."

Contact Matt Coss at (319) 291-1468 or matt.coss@wcfcourier.com

MVC tournament

Who: (4) Northern Iowa vs. (5) Southern Illinois

When: Wednesday, 11 a.m.

Where: Wichita, Kan. (Eck Stadium)

Radio/Internet: KQMG (95.3-FM)/www.unipanthers.com

Format: The top two seeds - Wichita State and Missouri State - received first-round byes. Two of the six teams will be knocked out in the double-elimination format before WSU takes the field Thursday night.

Probable pitching matchup (UNI listed first): Nick Kirk, 4-6, 4.01 ERA vs. Cody Adams, 5-4, 3.81.

Season series: SIU took two of three from UNI in late April at Riverfront Stadium. The Salukis rallied from a three-run deficit in the ninth to take the series finale, 11-7.

About SIU: SIU has won four straight and 11 of its last 14. Adams allowed three earned runs in eight innings to defeat UNI during the regular season. Catcher Mark Kelly, first team all-conference, is hitting a team-high .371 with 43 RBIs.

Tournament schedule

GAMES WEDNESDAY

Game 1 - Northern Iowa (29-22, 14-10 MVC) vs. Southern Illinois (32-21, 12-12), 11 a.m.

Game 2 - Creighton (35-19, 16-8) vs. Bradley (26-26, 10-14), 3 p.m.

Game 3 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 7 p.m.

GAMES THURSDAY

Game 4 - Missouri State (38-15, 18-6) vs. Creighton or UNI/SIU winner, 11 a.m.

Game 5 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m.

Game 6 - Wichita State (41-15, 19-5) vs. UNI/SIU winner or Bradley, 7 p.m.