Times are changing for the Penn State baseball team.

Gone are the days when a starting pitcher constantly worries about run support. Gone are the days of always being the assumed underdog.

But most importantly, gone are the days in which a Big Ten series loss could be virtually penciled in every weekend.

With a five-game winning streak and a 7-1 conference stretch on the line, the Nittany Lions (17-19, 9-5 Big Ten) travel to Indiana in hopes of solidifying their position in the top-three spots of the conference. The four-game series -- which begins at 3:00 p.m. today -- will mark their first meeting with Indiana since 2003 and will be their first trip to Bloomington since the 2002 season.

After a horrid 2-12 start, Penn State has bounced back beautifully and seems to own a commanding advantage over the Hoosiers (14-22, 4-12 Big Ten).

"If we're getting down, there's no panic anymore," head coach Robbie Wine said. "Early in the year, I felt a sense of panic and pressure. Guys are relaxing during the at-bats, and understanding that it's 27 outs and it's a long game."

With the relaxed mentality have come major statline boosts and a plethora of victories. The offense, in general, is scorching. Penn State posted 12 runs on a season-high 18 hits in Tuesday's win against Duquesne, the fourth time this season -- all in the last two weeks -- the offense has put double-digits across the plate.

Individually, catcher Joe Blackburn has batted an obscene .682 over his last six games, raising his overall average to .387, good for seventh in the Big Ten. Sophomore right fielder Rick Marlin has shown his penchant for hitting with runners on base, driving in 13 runs in the last seven contests. Pitcher Seth Whitehill has put together several quality starts in succession after starting the season poorly.

Now, with confidence levels at an all-time high, the Lions smell blood. A series victory over the Hoosiers could almost ensure a season-ending spot in the top-six in the conference, with each of those teams securing a berth in the Big Ten Tournament.

"We feel real confident at the plate. Pitching is doing well. We hit on all cylinders [Tuesday] and we need to do that again on Friday," senior infielder Matt Cavagnaro said. "It's a big weekend for us. We can really set some distance away from other teams this weekend by taking care of business."

Penn State will have to watch out for Indiana speedster Evan Crawford. Crawford is hitting .331 at the top of the Hoosiers' order, and is owner of 15 stolen bases.

But an improved defense, which hasn't committed an error in two games, has Wine relaxed in the dugout.

"One of our team mottos is, 'Stay within yourself and don't try to do too much,' and that's kind of what we're doing right now," he said. "We've just been playing our game."