Buck Kicinski has never sucked on a lime for four hours, turned it around and sucked on it for another three.

But if you ask the Penn State club baseball team's head coach about the taste of a 5-4 loss last May to North Carolina State, which ended the Lions' 2004 season one win short of the National Club Baseball Association World Series final, that's what he will tell you it feels like.

In a three-game series this weekend against the Wolfpack in Raleigh, N.C., the Nittany Lions (28-6, 14-0 New Penn Conference in 2004) will not only have a chance to avenge the loss, but an early season chance to examine the new parts of a vastly overturned roster.

While Kicinski recognizes that some of the returning players might be thinking of revenge, he will not be fixated on it.

"Is that our main goal this weekend? No. But it'd be nice," Kicinski said.

Kicinski said that he will be looking to see how some of the new members play against a team that they are likely to see again later in the season, as well as test out several different lineups. When a roster of 27 returns just 13 players from the previous year, this is a necessary step.

Aside from Kicinski, who takes over the head coaching position, the Lions incurred some heavy losses among statistical leaders. Gone are two NCBA second-team All-Americans: shortstop John Ruhf, who led the team in RBI (40) and runs (48), and pitcher Carmon Comunale. Team ERA leader Chris Rayburg (2.00) has also departed, along with team batting champion Scott Shirley (.435).

Despite the roster turnover, this is a Lions squad worthy of excitement, according to Kicinski. He cites defense, a deep pitching staff and speed as the team's greatest strengths.

First baseman Mark Mihalik and third baseman Nate Decker return in veteran roles for the Lions, and will be looked upon to provide quality corner defense. Of the 11 pitchers on the staff, all are capable of filling a starting role.

"[We have] a lot of live arms," assistant coach Bill Lippert said, also saying that returning hurlers like Greg Lisa and Jimmy Donovan should take on bigger roles. "We didn't take on [that many] pitchers just to take 'em."

Perhaps above all others qualities, Kicinski values speed as the Lions' greatest asset. If given the choice, he would take Rickey Henderson over Sammy Sosa "all day."

"From body-to-body standpoint, there's a lot of speed on this team," Kicinski said.

"If you can use speed properly, you can force a team to defend and make a play."

The middle infield tandem of Chris Connors and Jason Crandall, both of whom are returning, should provide plenty of it. Crandall led the Lions in stolen bases last season, and Connors earned NCBA third-team All-America.

Many of the roster issues will be shaken out between this weekend and the team's spring training trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in early March. Presently, some players are "chomping at the bit," Lippert said, to escape the frigid confines of State College and the Multi-Sport Facility for the forecasted sunshine and 50-degree weather of Raleigh.

"I can't wait to see the sun, because it doesn't come out here," Kicinski said.