After playing its first 26 games away from home, the Penn State softball team was looking forward to finally having a game in State College on Wednesday. But poor field conditions caused the postponement of the Nittany Lions' home opener against St. Joseph's, and now they are heading back out on the road once again.

The Lions (12-13) are heading north this weekend to open the Big Ten portion of their schedule against conference foes Michigan (21-6) and Michigan State (11-18). Penn State will take on the Wolverines at 3 p.m. today and at 2 p.m. tomorrow in Ann Arbor, then travel to East Lansing to play the Spartans in a doubleheader Sunday at 1 p.m.

The weekend will not be easy, as the Wolverines are the defending Big Ten regular season champions and own a commanding 31-1 all-time record against Penn State. Michigan outscored the Lions 19-2 while sweeping a doubleheader last April, and also defeated them in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament on their way to a College World Series appearance. Lions first baseman Erin Norton said the team will be looking for some revenge this weekend.

"They're always a big rival," Norton said. "It's one of our goals to beat them every year, and we hope to take it to them this weekend."

The Wolverines lost six seniors from last year's championship squad, including 2001's Big Ten Player of the Year, Melissa Taylor, but have been bolstered this season by strong pitching from junior Marissa Young. Young earned her second Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award Tuesday for two shutouts against Louisville last weekend. Young hurled a perfect game against Utah State in February and is 12-4 this season with a 1.11 ERA.

Lions' head coach Robin Petrini said her squad is eager to begin playing against familiar opponents, but Penn State's track record against the Wolverines is cause for concern.

"It's a double-edged sword because we haven't had much success against them," Petrini said. "But we're just excited to get the Big Ten schedule started."

A Michigan sweep this weekend would put head coach Carol Hutchins in the record books. Now in her 17th season with the Wolverines, Hutchins is just two wins shy of 750 for her career.

Michigan State head coach Jacquie Joseph also reached a milestone recently.

The she earned her 400th career victory in a 4-3 Spartan win over Appalachian State last weekend.

However, her team has been mediocre thus far this season and the Lions' chances for victory should significantly improve by Sunday.

"They are a little bit up and down this year, like we are," Petrini said. "Hopefully, we'll have an up day and they'll have a down day."