The Penn State softball team has put itself in a unique position that no one on the squad, including head coach Robin Petrini, has been in before at Penn State. Right now, the Nittany Lions are in the sights of teams looking for an emotional upset to rejuvenate their seasons.

After Wednesday night's doubleheader against St. Francis (Pa.), an energized but wary Petrini warned her team about the dangers of having a dazzling record.

"I told the team tonight, you've got a great record and there's a target on your back. You need to play from the first to the seventh every time you step foot on that field," she said.

This weekend, the teams looking down the scope of the barrel are more personal foes than the Red Flash, who Penn State has now beaten 22 consecutive times since 1990.

The Lions will take on Purdue at 6 tonight and finish the series at noon tomorrow in West Lafayette, Ind., before taking a 53-mile road trip to face off against Indiana in a doubleheader at noon Sunday in Bloomington, Ind.

Penn State is hovering at the top of the Big Ten after a best-ever 20-4 start in non-conference play.

On Wednesday, the Lions got a wake-up call from St. Francis at a crucial point in the season. In both games, the Red Flash were only one swing away from tying the game going into the top of the seventh. Last year, Penn State dominated St.
Francis, winning by the 10-run rule in both games of the doubleheader.

"They deserved actually to win that game," Petrini said. "But we came up with something they couldn't come up with, so we won it."

Petrini said after the game the possible lapse came from an emotional letdown, and she warned her team not to assume too much about an opponent after the first game. She said letting up after the first game of a series can be detrimental, particularly in conference play.

"It's really hard when you get 12 hits in the first game, and you think you're going to do the same in the second game," Petrini said. "You need to prepare. The second game is always different than the first game."

Purdue has an overall record of 19-16, but has won seven of its last 10. The Boilermakers will hardly feel the reassurance of home field advantage, however, as they have not yet been in competition on the field this season.

Petrini said because Purdue's coach, Kim Maher is in her first season, she doesn't know quite what to expect. But what the Lions can expect is that Maher is an offensive-minded coach.

Purdue leads the Big Ten in batting average, as well as runs scored. The Boilermaker bats will be a test for the Lions' No. 1 ranked pitching staff in the conference. Purdue has not outpowered its opponents, but the top-three hitters in the lineup, Staci Falzon, Ashley Hall and Tricia Lilley, are all in the top 10 in the conference in hits.

Penn State catcher Hollee Haines will have to be on her guard defensively as Purdue has already tried to steal 140 times this season, 60 of which have been successful.

The Hoosiers are also amongst the middle of the pack so far in the Big Ten with a 15-11-1 record, but have won eight of their last 11.