The baseball team traveled to Illinois this weekend, looking to make a big splash in its first Big Ten games. What the team received was a dunking by Illinois' pitching staff.

The Lions (9-9, 0-4 Big Ten) were swept in a four-game series by the Illini (15-6, 4-0). The sweep gave Illinois an 11-game winning streak and first place in the conference. The sweep gave the Lions last place in the Big Ten and a very big hill to climb.

Friday afternoon was initiation day for the Lions. It was also the day they suffered their biggest loss, 5-0. Freshman Justin Craig (1-1) made the first start of his Penn State career and went five innings, giving up three runs on nine hits. But Penn State could manage only four hits off of Illinois' Matt Arrandale (4-2), who went the distance.

The first game on Saturday brought more of the same, as the Illini again shut out the Lions, 2-0. Illinois' Mark Dressen (5-0) stopped the Lions this time, allowing only three hits and striking out seven strikeouts in going the distance.

With the win, Dressen became Illinois' all-time leader in career victories. Penn State's Chris Cisar (1-2) gave up six walks in four innings in taking the loss.

In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, Penn State lost, 6-4. The Lions got on the board first in the third inning, as Andy Simock scored on a wild pitch. Illinois tied it up in the bottom half of the inning, as Lion pitcher Brian Ishler gave up three singles.

Penn State went up again in the fifth, as Gates singled in Simock, who reached base on a double. But Illinois scored three in the bottom of the inning, and two more in the next. Four of the runs came off Chris Church, who took the loss. But in that sixth inning the game was called due to darkness.

Kevin Sproull came in to pitch when the game restarted yesterday and promptly gave up a wild pitch to the first batter, allowing another run to score. In the top of the seventh, Gates hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 6-4, but it wasn't enough.

Illinois finished off the sweep yesterday, winning the last one 4-1. Chris Freed (0-2) took the loss, and he didn't get much offensive help, as Penn State managed only six hits and stranded 10 baserunners.

The Lions hope to get back on track tomorrow. They go on the road again to face Towson State in a doubleheader.