[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]For UW, this weekend's games against Penn State and Ohio State carry major postseason implications. In order to have a chance to realize their pre-season goal of qualifying for the Big Ten tournament, the Badgers figure to need to take three of four games against high quality competition.

"Penn State has good pitching, Ohio State has good hitting … but if we play the way that we can, we will be able to be in those ball games," UW head coach Chandelle Schulte said, adding, "This weekend it is for us. We know we have to win at least three of those four to be in that tournament."

UW (20-19, 4-8) currently occupies 10th place in the Big Ten standings, one and a half games back of eighth place Indiana. UW must displace Indiana and take over the eighth spot to garner an invitation to the tournament.

Toeing the rubber this crucial weekend will be workhorse staff ace Eden Brock. Brock (16-10) has started the last nine games for the Badgers, including a complete game shutout Wednesday.

"The last two weeks, Eden has carried this team," Schulte said of her junior pitcher. "We will ride Eden as long as Eden allows us to ride her. At this point it is about experience, and Eden has it."

In other words, there is a good possibility Brock will start all four of the weekend's games.

Penn State (33-12, 6-8) enters the weekend in third place in the conference standings. The Nittany Lions got off to a fast start in the non-conference portion of their schedule, then struggled for a stretch, but have come on strong as of late, winning 12 of their last 13.

Penn State provides a similar challenge to that of other top tier Big Ten teams. Penn State's strength lies in a strong pitching staff anchored by Missy Berseres. The staff hasn't allowed more than two runs in any game in almost three weeks and enters weekend play with a staff ERA of just over one.

Normally, this would signal a tough couple of games at the plate, but UW has hit top level pitching at most times better than weaker pitching.

Offensively, Penn State is led by junior outfielder Jen Williams. Williams has hit for a .321 batting average and also leads the team in triples and stolen bases. The overall team attack manages only a meager 3.3 runs per game, so if UW can score some runs, they should be in position to win.

"If we can put some things together, we should be OK," Schulte said.

Ohio State provides a vastly different challenge for UW. The Buckeyes enter the weekend statistically ranking in the top four in the Big Ten in nearly every offensive category. Victory will depend on how well Brock is able to quiet the Buckeye bats.

"If we can keep the ball in the park against Ohio State, we'll be successful," Schulte said.

Doing so will be easier said than done. Ohio State has sent out 37 home runs on the year, and is led by a pair of native daughters, Chelsea Baker and Courtney Pruner, who each have gone yard seven times.

Production is by no means limited to those two sluggers. Eight Buckeyes have driven in at least 16 runs this season, as part of an offensive attack that averages just over four and a half runs a game. For comparison's sake, the UW line-up features only two players with such production.

If Wisconsin is to keep its postseason hopes alive for another week, Schulte knows it will take an opportunistic effort which has, up to this point, been missing.

"Every series we have gone into seems to be as if it was important, but we have not capitalized on the errors of our opponents," Schulte said. "This weekend, that will be the key."