Though the players and coaches of the Penn State softball team won't lead you to believe it, there is more on the line this weekend than just four Big Ten softball games.

Granted, the conference season is only a week old, but Penn State's trip to Michigan has big implications in the race for the league title -- one of the Nittany Lions' stated goals before the season.

Penn State begins the trip with games tonight and tomorrow in Ann Arbor against Michigan. The Lions then travel overnight for a Sunday doubleheader against Michigan State in East Lansing.

And while the Lions (16-12, 2-0 Big Ten) have had trouble with the pesky Spartans (19-17, 0-2) in the past -- both of last year's games were 1-0 wins for the Blue and White -- the marquee matchup will be with the No. 9 Wolverines.

Michigan (28-6, 1-1) has established itself as one of the perennial powers not only in the conference, but all of college softball. The Wolverines captured the national championship in 2005 and have made five out of the last six Women's College World Series, including a current streak of three in a row.

But during Michigan's current run of success, one of the few thorns in the Wolverines' paws has been Penn State. The Lions have won four out of five previous meetings, including a 5-2 win earlier this season at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Cali.

Penn State head coach Robin Petrini said she couldn't think of anything special that the Lions have done to be so successful against Michigan except consistently solid defense and clutch hitting "when it's mattered."

Junior utility player Jenn Reynolds, however, said Penn State's mental approach against the Wolverines has made the difference. While other teams may be in awe of Michigan's success, Reynolds said the Lions are not intimidated by the Maize and Blue-winged helmets and enjoy the challenge of taking on a top-10 team.

"We know how to get it into our heads that we're playing just another softball team," Reynolds said. "We go out there and face them just like any other opponent we have and that's why we've been successful against them."

For that success to continue, the Lions will have to find some way to put a dent in the granite-solid Michigan pitching staff. Wolverine starters Lorilyn Wilson and Nikki Nemitz have combined for a Big Ten-best 28 wins and 260 strikeouts. Michigan is also among conference leaders in 13 other pitching categories -- most notably 1.64 runs per game and an opponent .177 batting average.

With a matchup between two conference-title contenders this early in the season, it's difficult to remain even-keeled. But Petrini said Big Ten weekends are always tough and this weekend is "no bigger than any other weekend."

Reynolds, on the other hand, could not hide her excitement about the importance of the trip to Ann Arbor. She said the Lions' chances at a conference crown are on the line tonight and tomorrow. And if Penn State wants to obtain its preseason goals, the team must play at a consistently high level over the next three days.

"I'm very excited and I know everyone else is excited to go out there and face them," Reynolds said. "But, if we lose this weekend, we don't really have a chance to win the Big Ten. We need to win for people to really look at us as a top team [in the conference]."