Get ready for an exciting start to the college baseball season! The MLB Desert Invitational is back, and it's bigger and better than ever. Over Valentine's Day weekend, eight teams will battle it out in Arizona, kicking off the regular season with a bang.
This year, the tournament welcomes four new participants: Air Force, Iowa, Northeastern, and Penn State. They join returning teams UConn, Kansas State, and Nebraska, along with the experienced Grand Canyon, who have become a staple of this event.
The action-packed schedule is set, with three games each day, and the MLB Network will be broadcasting live! Here's a breakdown of the matches:
Friday, February 13th:
- 3 PM ET: Iowa vs. Kansas State (Goodyear Ballpark)
- 8 PM ET: UConn vs. Nebraska (Salt River Fields)
- 8 PM ET: Northeastern vs. Grand Canyon (Brazell Field @ GCU Ballpark)
- 8 PM ET: Air Force vs. Penn State (Goodyear Ballpark)
Saturday, February 14th:
- 3 PM ET: Penn State vs. Grand Canyon (Salt River Fields)
- 7 PM ET: Kansas State vs. UConn (Scottsdale Stadium)
- 8 PM ET: Iowa vs. Air Force (Salt River Fields)
- 8:30 PM ET: Nebraska vs. Northeastern (Sloan Park)
Sunday, February 15th:
- 2 PM ET: Kansas State vs. Penn State (Sloan Park)
- 3 PM ET: Iowa vs. Northeastern (Salt River Fields)
- 7:30 PM ET: Nebraska vs. Grand Canyon (Sloan Park)
- 8 PM ET: Air Force vs. UConn (Salt River Fields)
Monday, February 16th:
- 3 PM ET: Kansas State vs. Air Force (Sloan Park)
- 3 PM ET: Stanford vs. Nebraska (Salt River Fields)
All games, except Friday's Northeastern vs. Grand Canyon match, will be streamed live on MLB.com.
Top Prospects to Watch:
While there may not be any Top 100 Draft prospects at this year's tournament, there's an abundance of talent to keep an eye on. Harrison Feinberg, the 2025 Co-CAA Player of the Year, is on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List and is expected to be a key player for Northeastern. UConn's Tyler Minick and Nebraska's Ty Horn will face off in a highly anticipated matchup, with Horn having dominated last season's Big Ten Conference title game against the No. 1 overall Draft prospect, Roch Cholowsky. Third baseman Bryce Molinaro, a 17th-round pick by the Nationals, chose to return to Penn State and is a key contributor with his impressive RBI count. Grand Canyon's Garrett Ahern and Chase Frey are also ones to watch, as they continue the university's strong tradition of producing professional players.
This year's Desert Invitational is not just about the competition; it's an opportunity for these collegiate players to showcase their skills in venues that could be their future homes in the professional ranks. With 40 former participants having gone on to play in MLB Summer Leagues and MLB Develops programs, this tournament is a launchpad for aspiring baseball stars.
And here's where it gets interesting: for the first time, the four-day event will span five different ballparks, four of which are Spring Training grounds for major league teams.
So, will this year's Desert Invitational live up to its reputation? Will any of these players make a breakthrough performance? And what impact will the new venues have on the tournament's outcome? These are the questions we're asking as we gear up for an exciting weekend of college baseball. Don't miss out on the action!
