CEDAR FALLS - The University of Northern Iowa baseball team has had a chance to win every one of its six Missouri Valley Conference games thus far this season.

However, coach Rick Heller would feel a lot better about where his Panthers stand if they weren't 1-4 in one-run MVC contests.

UNI (10-13 overall, 2-4 MVC) surrendered its second ninth-inning lead of the conference season Sunday in Evansville, spoiling what could have been a rare conference sweep on the road.

"With the inexperienced ballclub that we have, we're this close to being in first place," Heller noted during Monday's UNI coaches' luncheon. "But we're not."

On the positive side, the Panthers got quality starts from Nick Kirk and Derek Ott and had a productive weekend at the plate with double-digit base hits in all three games that hiked the team's collective batting average to .294.

"I was really pleased with our hitters' approach," said Heller. "We've been working hard the last couple of weeks to get back on track offensively and we really broke out this weekend up and down the lineup. We started getting a lot of production out of the bottom end of our lineup, which really helped a lot."

Given this week's weather forecast, UNI may have a tough time capitalizing on the momentum built by taking two of three from Evansville. After 23 games on the road, the Panthers are scheduled to open their home season today against NAIA Clarke College. Wednesday, they play Minnesota in the Metrodome and they are scheduled to host Indiana State this weekend.

TRACK AND FIELD: After an unscheduled weekend off, the Panthers get back into action this weekend.

A small group of multi-events athletes and the men's 4x800 relay will run at the Texas Relays while the rest of the squad competes in a smaller meet at Central College in Pella Saturday.

UNI will be without freshman multi-events specialist Daniel Gooris, who was the Missouri Valley's indoor field events athlete of the year. Gooris was involved in a motorcycle accident and has been hospitalized for more than a week.

"He's going to be OK," coach Travis Geopfert reported. "He had 40 stitches in his forehead, broke his nose, third-degree burns on his foot … He had a skin graft two days ago and might have to have another one.

"He will be out for the season. Eventually he's going to be OK, but it's going to take some time."

The Panthers got additional bad news when more damage than expected was discovered in the knee of high jumper Julian Morris, who will now miss up to nine months as he recovers.

"It's been kind of tough," said Geopfert. "But we had a team meeting with all the guys, and we're going to have a great season. You can't dwell on what happens to you. The only thing you can control is how you react to it."

WOMEN'S TENNIS: UNI's Missouri Valley opener turned into a day the Panthers would like to forget after a 6-1 loss to Drake.

"It was one of those days you hope you don't have in conference and especially against Drake," said coach Sachin Kirtane. "It just seemed like we could not win a single close match.

"It's just one of those things where we have to figure it out. We're putting ourselves in a chance to win. Drake was picked higher than us in the league, so we know we're right there.

"I think we were better than them. We just did not win the points that mattered (Sunday). I think it's a good wake-up call for us."

Now 11-4 overall and 0-1 in MVC matches, UNI hosts league foes Evansville Saturday and Southern Illinois Sunday.

"Hopefully, we've learned our lesson, and we're going to start putting our opponents away when we have a chance," said Kirtane.

Contact Doug Newhoff at (319) 291-1467 or doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com