Relief may finally be in sight for the baseball team this weekend.

The Lions (8-11, 1-7) play their first Big Ten home games of the season against a Michigan squad (5-22 overall) that has yet to beat a conference opponent in eight tries.

The two teams will play two doubleheaders, at noon tomorrow and at noon on Sunday.

Coach Joe Hindelang said the key for Penn State this weekend is to try and carry the spark it had in its victory over Bucknell on Wednesday.

"I saw a rekindling of confidence in that game," he said. "I hope to build on that in the Michigan series."

Outfielder Dave Hall said for the Lions to have a successful series against the Wolverines, they must combine solid pitching with timely hitting. That is something the Lions have had trouble doing recently.

"So far this season," Hall said, "either the pitching has been on and our hitting has been off, or our hitting has been on and our picthing has been off."

Michigan has struggled all season, but it has played one of the nation's toughest schedules. Coach Bill Freehan's Wolverines have played four games against Florida, two against Miami and four against Minnesota. Freehan, a former all-star catcher with the Detroit Tigers, took over the program in 1989, after it was put on three years probation by the NCAA.

Hindelang said Michigan's record is not indicative of its play because of its tough schedule. But right now, he said he is more concerned about his own team.

"I'm just looking for us to get back on track," he said. "We need the pitchers to cut down on their walks, the defense to make the routine plays and we need quality at bats."