The Northwestern baseball team has a chance to clinch a Big Ten tournament berth and a .500 conference record this weekend.

But for the team, it’s just going to be another series.

The Wildcats (28-23, 11-13 Big Ten) will face Penn State (36-12, 16-7) in a four-game series at Rocky Miller Park beginning today, and a strong weekend will ensure the Cats’ participation in the first Big Ten tournament of the new millennium. NU made it to the six-team tournament only three times in the 1990s.

“We put ourselves in the position where our fate is in our own hands and that’s all we can ask for,” pitcher Gabe Ribas said. “It’s nice to know that we don’t need help, but we’re not really thinking about the tournament.”

Coach Paul Stevens said the team isn’t worried about anything beyond the next four games against the Nitanny Lions — the second-ranked team in the conference.

“Things don’t change one week to the next so the only thing I’m concerned about is taking care of business,” Stevens said. “We have to take care of one pitch, one inning, one at-bat and one game at a time. We can’t think too far in advance, because if we do we’re going to find ourselves in a very uncomfortable situation.”

If the Cats are to make the tournament, they will have to avoid the late-year swoon that prematurely ended last season. NU was 7-8 in the Big Ten before dropping 10 consecutive conference games and falling out of tournament contention.

But this year’s Cats have done nothing but build character, Stevens said. He added that last year’s experiences are paying huge dividends this time around.

“A lot of the guys who are playing big roles on this year’s team have grown up a lot since, and because of, last year,” Stevens said. “Those kids understand and deal with pressure a lot better now.”

One of those much-improved players is Ribas. The hard-throwing righty will start one of this weekend’s crucial games, and his strong season (7-3, 2.25 ERA) has earned him that position of responsibility. He also earned the win in a 6-4 victory over Penn State last season.

Ribas isn’t the only NU pitcher hitting his stride. Sophomore Zach Schara has thrown two straight complete-game victories and stands 8-4 with a team-best 89 strikeouts. Senior Dan Padgett also has performed well, going 5-2 with a 3.69 ERA.

“The game has always revolved around the fact that good pitching stops good hitting, and pitching is going to keep you in games,” Stevens said. “All of (the starters) have found a way to step up and be successful in key situations all year, and we’re looking for them to do it again.”

If the Cats do indeed qualify for the tournament, they couldn’t ask for a much better tune up than Penn State. The Nittany Lions, after dropping three games against Ohio State last weekend, should come out with chips on their shoulder, Stevens said.

But NU isn’t too worried. The Cats took three of four against Penn State last season and return to play at Rocky Miller Park after two straight weekends on the road. And despite the possibility of a postseason berth, the Cats are going to play the same way they have throughout the season.

“Guys have gotten better, older and smarter,” Ribas said. “(Penn State) really improved and so have we, so you have to throw out last year’s results. Like we have all year, we’re working on the task at hand, and we’re going to play some focused baseball.”