The Penn State baseball team has arrived at a crossroads in Big Ten play.

A sweep this weekend could propel the Nittany Lions (20-12, 7-5 Big Ten) to the top of the conference standings, while four losses would most certainly drop them near the bottom.

"Our focus is on conference play right now," Penn State coach Robbie Wine said. "That's most important to us."

The Lions are slated to begin a four- game set against Iowa (15-16, 8-4) at 7 tonight on the road. Penn State has done no worse than split each conference series, and Wine expects that trend to continue.

But taking three or more from the Hawkeyes won't be easy. Iowa has been on a roll as of late -- despite a lackluster record, it's 8-1 in the past nine games.

And the Lions seem to match up well.

Penn State's offense struggled mid-week against Norfolk State, but it will be given plenty of opportunities to bounce back against a sub-par Iowa pitching staff. The Hawkeyes' collective 5.45 ERA ranks second-to-last in the conference, behind only Michigan State's 5.49 ERA.

Sophomore Aaron Markowitz, who tossed a complete game shutout Wednesday, will be available for relief over the weekend. If the Lions' starting rotation can be half as effective as Markowitz, taking three wins shouldn't be a problem.

Ace Sean Stidfole will get the start today, and he'll look to remain consistent. The right-hander leads the club in strikeouts with 56 and has shown extraordinary control -- in 55 frames, he's thrown one wild pitch.

His twin brother, Alan Stidfole, hasn't fared much worse. As a matter of fact, Alan might have stolen some of his brother's thunder the last couple weeks.

Alan Stidfole had his 33.1 scoreless inning streak come to an end against Minnesota, but he should be able to pick himself up this weekend.

Stidfole said he felt a bit pressured by the streak, and that certainly won't be a factor this time around. "I'm kinda glad it's over," he said last week.

Although the Lions' offense struggled on Wednesday, it's still markedly improved from last season. Senior infielder Michael Milliron led the team with a .307 batting average last year. This year, Penn State is hitting .306 as a team.