The good news is that there is nowhere to go but up.

After sitting in the Big East cellar and riding a five-game losing streak, this weekend’s triple header against Notre Dame (15-16, 2-6 Big East) seems to be just what the doctor ordered for an ailing Georgetown (12-21, 2-7) ball club. The bad news remains that unseasonable elements in snowy South Bend, Ind., threaten to bury the Hoyas’ hopes against the struggling Fighting Irish.

“We’ll be battling the weather this weekend, and I don’t know how much we will get to play,” Head Coach Pete Wilk said Thursday morning after talking with Notre Dame manager Dave Schrage, who reported three inches of snow fall and was expecting more. “We are going to try and play a double header [Friday], but I don’t know what is going to happen.”

The weather is only slightly chillier than Georgetown’s bats. The Hoyas have been outscored 31-15 over their current five-game slide, including a particularly anemic performance at the plate in a 6-0 shutout against the arms of Seton Hall on April 7.

Only two Hoyas are currently hitting above .300, and the team ranks dead last in Big East offense, batting a feeble .250.

“Our bats have fallen asleep,” Wilk said, adding that he does not believe it is the fault of any one individual, but more of a team-wide epidemic. “Hitting is contagious – when we hit well, everyone starts hitting well. When we don’t, we don’t. I think everyone is pressing it at the plate. Everyone is out there trying to hit a five-run homer. We just have to relax and hit.”

Georgetown’s output has slowly strengthened over the past week, as junior shortstop Matt Bouchard produced three hits and two RBIs in the team’s 7-4 loss to George Mason Wednesday in Fairfax, Va.

“It’s hard to be consistent at the plate,” said Bouchard, who holds the team’s second-highest batting average. “The main thing is to stay focused at every at bat. Concentration is key and you have to look at each at bat as a clean slate.”

Wednesday’s defeat was the second in seven days at the hands of the Patriots, after last week’s 12-7 debacle in which Mason roughed up freshman southpaw Alex Meyer for nine hits and six earned runs. Meyer’s mishap aside, the rotation has been solid during the Hoyas’ dry spell at the plate.

Junior lefthander Michael Gaggioli left Thursday’s contest against Seton Hall in the seventh after striking out five, only to lose the lead in the late innings for a 4-3 squeaker. Freshman righty Tim Adleman threw a complete game in the second half of the day’s doubleheader, and only allowed one earned run in a losing effort against the Pirates.

“We are still pitching well. If you don’t have that, you are in trouble.” Wilk said. “That’s our backbone right now.”

Fielding, once seen as Georgetown’s weakest link, has held firm for the most part recently. With the exception of a lackluster defensive performance in Sunday’s 6-0 loss, the Hoyas have committed only four errors over the span of four games. Senior centerfielder Mark McLaughlin has been a Houdini in the outfield, consistently coming up with miraculous catches, none better than his grab at the warning track to rob George Mason first baseman Justin Bour in the fifth inning Wednesday afternoon.

“With the exception of one game, we have played well on defense,” Wilk said. “We played well again [Wednesday], but we just couldn’t get going offensively.”

In order for Wilk’s team to crawl out of the bottom of the Big East barrel, senior catcher Brandon Davis and junior designated hitter Matt Ianetta need to get back on track. The bash-brothers duo was frequently clobbering the ball before slumping over the past week. Davis still leads the team in home runs, with four, and Ianetta has added 23 hits and 18 RBIs on the season.

Despite their lowly record, the Fighting Irish boast the conference’s second-best pitching staff, led by sophomore righty David Phelps, whose older brother Mike was drafted in 2005 by the Chicago Cubs. While Phelps’ 1.51 ERA may be intimidating, the Hoyas should consider themselves fortunate not to be facing Jeff Samardzija, the fire-balling, two-sport stud who is the Irish’s all-time receptions leader and is currently pitching for the Class A Daytona Cubs instead of fanning collegiate batters for one more spring.

Friday’s first pitch is slated for 6 p.m.