Coach Robbie Wine is being cautious.
With the Nittany Lions winning four of their last five games and gaining confidence along the way, Wine is well aware of the dangers of peaking too soon.
"Big Ten play is such a grind," he said. "The teams in this league, if you get too high and too low and there's peaks in those valleys, they are going to get you."
Though the coach has his team remaining grounded, there is a level of excitement building in the locker room as things are starting to click for the Lions heading to Illinois for a conference opening three-game series.
While the pitching is still a work in progress, the recent offensive numbers have the team riding high as it begins Big Ten play against Illinois this weekend.
The team scored at least eight runs in each of its last four games, and Penn State is getting production from the batting order top to bottom.
"Offensively, I think we're coming around," Wine said. "I think the confidence is there, and we're starting to put some runs on."
This success at the plate has the pitchers especially excited.
Relief pitcher David Lutz said hitting has been the most important factor to the heightened confidence going into Big Ten season.
On Wednesday against Kent State, the Lions' pitchers dug the team into an early 3-0 hole, but the hitters chipped away and tied the game before eventually taking a commanding lead.
"In the dugout, you don't sense anything," Lutz said. "You don't sense anybody going, 'Oh gosh, here we go again.' The hitters think they are going to succeed eventually so the pitchers believe that also."
While this game was an example of the offense's recent success, it also shows the recent mid-week pitching woes, which Wine admitted scares him somewhat. Calvin Grumley didn't last past the third inning on Tuesday, and Wednesday's starter Mike Franklin was pulled two outs into the game.
Despite these struggles, the solid play by the weekend starters and the offensive production still has the rest of the team excited about Illinois.
"I think we're right on track and hitting our stride here with this game," outfielder Steve Snyder said. "Hopefully we carry it into this weekend's series."
And while the players, like their coach, are confident going into this weekend, they realize conference play will be much different than the past month.
"It's a new season when it starts on Friday, that's the end of the story," Lutz said. "This has all been great and we've learned a lot about ourselves and the guys on the team, but it's a new season now."
