With its recent luck with the weather, the Penn State softball team is just hoping it gets to be on the field.

The Nittany Lions (16-12, 2-0 Big Ten) have been on an unprecedented streak with their last six games canceled because of inclement weather. The team hopes the weather will allow for an end to that run for its doubleheader with Kent Sate at 2 p.m. today at Nittany Lion Field.

The streak began at home against Minnesota on April 1, and concluded with a washed out trip to rival Michigan this past weekend. Most importantly, the Lions and the rest of the Big Ten missed out on six Big Ten games.

"We all went in [to Michigan] with the mentality that we were going to play in pretty bad weather. We just accepted that," junior shortstop Jen Acunto said. "It's frustrating to go on a long trip to do nothing, but what can you do?

"Overall, we handled it pretty well as a team."

The canceled games were crucial Big Ten matchups, but that's in the past now and the team is doing what it always does -- focusing on the opponent at hand, Big Ten foe or not.

The Golden Flash (17-11, 4-0 MAC) bring two stellar players that hoard the top of most of the season's statistics. Junior utility player Jamie Fitzpatrick leads the team with a .346 batting average and eight dingers.

One surprising asset Kent State has in its arsenal is the freshman arm of Kylie Reynolds. The hurler has jumped to a 0.95 ERA, accumulating 164 strikeouts in only 95.2 innings of work.

"They have a freshman pitcher that's having an outstanding season," Penn State coach Robin Petrini said. "That is probably the strength of their team -- their pitching. That makes them very good."

Although the series between the two squads is relatively even, Penn State has finished on top in the last seven meetings.

"They're always a very competitive group of girls," Acunto said. "Overall, it'll be really good competition that will keep us on our toes, for sure. We definitely can't take them lightly in any aspect of their game -- defense, offense, pitching."

The matchup will be the last home game for the Lions before a nine-game stretch on the road, starting with a trip to Northwestern this weekend. Penn State is currently 4-0 on its home diamond, and will look to continue its sharp performances in front of the home crowd.

"It's nice to have home-field advantage with the crowd and whatnot. We have very supportive fans, and it'll be interesting to see how we play as we go deeper into the season," Acunto said.

With rain and wind projected for tonight, however, the Lions will need a little help from Mother Nature in order to take advantage of the home-field luxury and finally have the opportunity to play.