IU heads into Big Ten play

After winning nine of its last 11 games, the IU baseball team starts the Big Ten regular season against a team that was one game away from the college World Series.\nThe Hoosiers are riding a five-game winning streak into this weekend's matchup with 2000 Big Ten tournament runner-up Penn State. After sweeping a doubleheader against Taylor and defeating Valparaiso Wednesday, the team is looking to continue the momentum into the series. But coach Bob Morgan said this will be a challenge for his team after losing No. 1 starter senior right-hander David Ferris for the year.\n"We were a thin pitching staff going in, and we just got thinner," Morgan said. "The kids that we would normally throw in mid-week games and not in the Big Ten, they would be more relievers in the Big Ten, now they are going to have to pitch in the Big Ten."\nFerris is out for the season with torn ligaments in his throwing elbow. \nPitching coach Jeff Calcaterra said the pitchers needs to keep mistakes to a minimum and work toward the team's strong points. \n"We need quality starts. We need our starters to be able to go out there and keep us in the ball games early," Calcaterra said. "I think one of the things that I've seen so far this year with pitching is that we've given up runs early in the game."\nCalcaterra said there isn't a difference of the mindset pitching in a nonconference and conference game, except for the atmosphere.\n"There's a little bit more intensity to a conference game because you're playing the same opponent in four games in a three-day period, so the intensity will pick up more than a nonconference game," Calcaterra said. \nFreshman pitcher Chris Behrens said the pitchers have to go out and do their jobs, regardless of the opponent.\n"You're still trying to hit your spots and keep guys off base," Behrens said. "We just need to do our job, and we can't worry about whether the offense is hitting that day or not. If we're not doing our job, then there's no way that we'll be in the game. If we do our job then we'll have a chance to win."\nPenn State is coming into the series after a four-day break, with their last contest a 4-3 loss to Delaware Sunday. The Hoosiers have played three games in two days and are fresh off seven games in eight days on their Florida spring break trip.\n"I don't think fatigue will be a factor at all," redshirt sophomore Michael Woodside said. "I think guys are tired, but once you get on the field you forget about being tired and they just play. I'm ready to see where we stand as far as the competition."\nA bit of good news for the Hoosiers is the return of sophomore third baseman Vasili Spanos. Morgan said that Spanos, the team's fourth hitter in the order, will help solidify his team's lineup heading into Big Ten play. \nJunior right-hander Brad Edwards is expected to start Friday; Big Ten pitcher of the week, senior right-hander Nick Otte, will start the first game of Saturday's doubleheader; redshirt junior right-hander Matt Rice gets the call for the second game; Behrens will close the series Sunday. \n"Everyone in the Big Ten is good, and they're coming off a great season last year where they were one series away from going to the World Series, so we'll have our work cut out for us," Morgan said. "We're just looking to go out and play as well and as hard as we can"