The hard-hitting Illinois softball team (26-16) will host conference leading Ohio State on Friday and Saturday, and second place Penn State on Sunday at Eichelberger Field.

The Illini are going into the weekend with the chance to gain some ground in the Big Ten standings.

Illinois enters the game ranked fifth in the conference and right in the middle of a tight race for the Big Ten championship.

“At this time in the season, it’s all about consistency,” head coach Terri Sullivan said. “The team that is the most consistent will win.”

Illinois has been consistent on offense all season and leads the nation in home runs with 71 round-trippers in 41 games.

Getting the hitting, pitching and defense all on the same page for every game, however, has been trouble for the team, Sullivan said.

“Our defense should feed off of our offense and our pitchers should be able to pitch more aggressively,” Sullivan said.

While the team is ready to compete against the Big Ten’s best, Eichelberger Stadium will also be on display with the groundbreaking of Martin Stadium on Saturday.

The Rex and Alice A. Marin Foundation donated $1 million to the Illinois softball program that will allow the team to add features to Eichelberger Stadium that will make it one of the elite softball facilities in the nation.

“We’re so excited and grateful to the Martin’s,” Sullivan said. “It’s going to be a great recruiting attraction.”

The new stadium will feature a new clubhouse and a state-of-the-art press box. The project is expected to be finished in 2008.

“We’re going to have a strong sense of pride knowing we are playing in one of the best stadiums in the country,” Sullivan said.