Kansas And Illinois Deal With Midwest Weather

Due to sub-freezing temperatures and snow in the forecast this weekend, the Kansas baseball team will open the 2010 season on Monday, Feb. 22 against Eastern Michigan with a doubleheader at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. at 5 p.m.

This marks the second time in the last four years that the Jayhawks have utilized the indoor facility in the Twin Cities. In 2007, KU moved a home series against South Dakota State to the Metrodome.

The Jayhawks won two of three games in that 2007 series and are 3-3 all-time at the indoor facility.

Junior right-handed pitcher Corey Chaffins will get the nod for EMU in game one, while sophomore righty Kendall Lewis will start on the mound in game two. The Jayhawks will start pitcher T.J. Walz in game one and Cameron Selik in game two.

Meanwhile, Illinois’ season-opening series against Bradley that was scheduled for this weekend has been canceled because of the forecasted below-average temperatures and current snow cover.  Because of the lack of common open dates throughout the rest of the season, the games will not be made up, but the Illini will travel to Bradley on April 6 and the Braves will return the game in Champaign on April 27.

The Illini now will open the season next Friday, Feb. 26, at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. Illinois will start the event by playing Notre Dame at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla.. The Orange and Blue will play South Florida at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater on Feb. 27  and St. John’s at the Raymond A. Naimoli Complex in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Feb. 28.