Timely offense and effective pitching are finally coming together for Illinois. The Illini (22-20, 2-4 Big Ten) outlasted Bradley on Wednesday to take both games of their doubleheader in Peoria, Ill.

The Fighting Illini hope to keep that momentum rolling this weekend at home.

On Friday, the Orange and Blue return to Eichelberger Field at Martin Stadium to start a nine-game homestand against tough conference competition.

“We’re super excited to be back at home,” said junior catcher Lana Armstrong. “It’s exciting to be back defending our own turf.”

Defending their turf will be no easy task against Northwestern or Michigan State.

Northwestern (20-9, 6-0) will be in Urbana on Friday to face the Illini.

The No. 14 Wildcats hold the only undefeated conference record in the Big Ten and are well-equipped with both hitting and pitching.

Freshman infielder Michelle Batts is the current Big Ten Player of the Week after hitting .583 with three home runs, two doubles and nine RBIs in three games last week.

The Wildcats also boast sophomore pitcher Lauren Delaney, who leads the Big Ten in strikeouts with 230.

Last Sunday at Ohio State, Delaney pitched both games of the doubleheader, throwing a no-hitter in one game and not allowing a run in either.

But the Fighting Illini are not backing down from this weekend’s challenge.

“We really play a fast-paced, aggressive game,” Armstrong said. “We just have to stick to our game plan. Get it going at our pace and keep it going at our pace.”

Friday’s game against Northwestern is more than just your average Big Ten matchup, though.

The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

“It’s a chance to show off our field, how nice it is,” Armstrong said. “It’s cool that our sport is growing to that magnitude.”

After back-to-back games against the Wildcats, Michigan State (20-14, 4-2) will be in town Sunday for a doubleheader and yet another big conference test for Illinois.

And the Spartans bring their own challenges.

Coming into the weekend, the Spartans are winners of six straight games.

They are led by senior outfielder Nikki Nicosia, who sports a .402 average – third-best in the Big Ten – through 35 games and tops the conference with 49 hits.

But the Illini have offensive power of their own. Senior shortstop Angelena Mexicano hit her conference-leading 13th home run of the season at Bradley on Wednesday.

“She’s always been a really exciting offensive player,” head coach Terri Sullivan said. “When she’s in the batter’s box, we know good things can happen.”

The Illini have a pivotal weekend of conference matches, but they know what they bring to the table and are ready to put up a fight.

“In our minds, (opponents’) rankings don’t matter,” Armstrong said. “A lot of our games have been against ranked opponents. We’re just looking forward to coming out and taking it to ’em.”