After getting swept by No. 12 Northwestern and managing just seven hits in two games last weekend, Illinois has the difficult task of trying to beat the number one-seeded Wildcats in the first round of the Big Ten tournament in Evanston, Ill., on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Northwestern clinched the Big Ten title against the Illini and earned the right to host the conference tournament with the wins.

This past weekend, the Illini struggled to earn runs, being shutout in both games against the Wildcats and striking out a total of 21 times. If Illinois hopes to pull off an upset Thursday, the Illini hitters will have to figure out Northwestern’s pitching staff that boosts two 20-game winners.

“Canney and Foster are two number ones,” said senior first baseman Jenna Hall, who went 2-for-5 against Northwestern’s two starters. “To have a staff like that, it’s just tough. It’s tough for our hitters even if we lead the conference in some offensive categories. You can’t say anything more than they dominated us all weekend.”

The Illini-Northwestern matchup Thursday will be the second of two quarterfinal round games on the day. Second-ranked Michigan meets No. 7 Michigan State at 2 p.m. in the eight-team single-elimination tournament, while No. 3 Iowa takes on No. 6 Indiana at 9 a.m. Friday, followed by No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Penn State at 11:30 a.m. Coincidentally, three of the four first-round matchups are repeats from series this weekend.

Although Illinois is up against the odds, head coach Terri Sullivan is still thrilled to get a third chance to beat the Wildcats.

“We’re excited about going to Northwestern this weekend,” Sullivan said. “We have a lot of fans in the Chicago area. We have to go into the tournament with a whole new attitude offensively to advance. We’re in a position to play someone we’ve seen and I believe that’s a strategy as well. You continue to notice the opposition’s strength and weaknesses and I think that might give us a better chance. “