With playoff implications abounding this weekend, tension will be
high when the Penn State softball team heads to Columbus, Ohio, for
a showdown with first-place Ohio State.

The Nittany Lions (26-20, 5-7 Big Ten) need one win to solidify a berth in next week's Big Ten tournament.

The Buckeyes (33-16, 12-2), however, need to sweep the two-game series, which will be played at 1 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday at Buckeye Field, to earn their first regular season conference championship since 1990.

But just because the Lions know they only need a split, doesn't mean they'll be satisfied only winning one. Catcher Hollee Haines said the team is excited for the opportunity, but she realizes the game is not theirs quite yet.

"It's good to know we control our own destiny," Haines said. "But we still have to win that game. We don't want to let it get to our heads. We want to win both of them and we need to play hard and do our best to try to [sweep]."

Standing in Penn State's way is an Ohio State squad looking to lock up the regular-season title and earn home-field advantage for the conference tournament.

Despite not being ranked nationally, the Buckeyes have remained consistent during Big Ten play and have held off a pair of top-10 teams -- Michigan and Northwestern -- to put themselves in position for the conferemce crown.

They are not a flashy team, ranking around the middle of the conference in almost every statistical category. But, the Buckeyes have played fundamental softball all season. They simply get on base, while not allowing their opponents free passes -- Ohio State is third in the Big Ten in both on-base percentage and walks allowed.

While the Buckeyes have remained consistent for most of the 2007 season, the Lions' play has been fairly erratic.

However, over a span of the last two weeks, Penn State has caught itself
in the middle of on an offensive upswing.

The Lions have averaged more than eight hits per outing during that span, including Wednesday's doubleheader at Maryland when eight of the nine starters registered at least one hit.

Haines said it has been difficult at times during the year because when some players would be peaking, others were slumping. But now, she said, everyone feels comfortable at the plate.

Center fielder Danielle Kinley, who leads the team in batting average, echoed Haines' feelings and added that Penn State's sizzling bats can do wonders for the team's confidence and allow everyone to play more loose and relaxed.

"[Everyone hitting the ball] is huge," Kinley said. "If everybody can stay on and stay hot, we have a really good shot at an upset [this weekend] and securing our berth in the Big Ten tournament.

"We know what we have to do, now we just have to go do it."