Every player on the Chico State baseball roster has dreamed of playing in a Major League Baseball Ballpark. This weekend the Wildcats will.
 
Chico State is taking part in the Houston Winter Invitational at Minute Maid Park–home of the Houston Astros–this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
 
The event, hosted by Central Missouri, features six of the nation's top Division II teams.
 
The Wildcats will face Texas A&M-Kingsville at noon Pacific Time on Friday, St. Mary's (Texas) at 4 p.m. Saturday, and Central Missouri at 8 a.m. Sunday. Note: the games on Friday and Saturday could begin up to 30 minutes earlier based on length of the previous game(s) that day.  
 
Links to stats and online broadcasts for all three games are available via the calendar section and baseball schedule page at www.chicowildcats.com. Sunday's game will also be broadcast on AM-1290 KPAY.
 
Chico State opened the season ranked No. 37 in the nation, Central Missouri No. 3, and St. Mary's and Texas A&M-Kingsville were among teams receiving votes.
 
The Wildcats are off to a 6-2 start behind strong pitching, reliable defense, and aggressive baserunning.
 
Chico State's pitching staff boasts a team ERA of 2.43. Opponents are hitting just .214 against the Wildcats, and they've struck out 71 in 66-plus innings.
 
The Wildcats are fielding at a .993 clip, having committed only two errors.
 
Offensively, the Wildcats are hitting .294. They've earned more free bases through walks and hit-by-pitch (37 combined) than they have struck out (36). The Wildcats have also stolen 18 bases in those first eight games.
 
They are looking forward to the challenges this weekend presents, however.
 
Texas A&M-Kingsville is 3-0, having swept its season-opening series against NAIA side Wiley College. They allowed only two earned runs on eight hits during that series while outscoring Wiley 34–6. They scuffled defensively, however, committing seven errors in the series. The Javelinas were picked to finish second in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll.
 
St. Mary's, 4-3 this season, was picked to finish third in the Heartland Conference's Preseason Poll. The Rattlers are rolling offensively, hitting .326 as a team and scoring 58 runs in 55 innings thus far. But their defense has struggled, committing 23 errors. Opponents are only hitting .224 against the Rattlers' pitching staff, but they've walked 32 in 59 frames.
 
Like Chico State, Central Missouri was the preseason coaches' pick to win its conference title. The Mules are off to a 4-2 start. Their pitching staff has a 2.42 earned run average over 52.0 innings pitched. They've struck out 51 and walked 18 over that span.
 
Chico State won the previous two meetings between the teams, but both were thrillers. The Wildcats eliminated the Mules at the 1998 Division II World Series with a 13–11 win and beat UCM 13–12 early in the 2006 season in Las Vegas.
 
The Wildcats have never played Texas A&M-Kingsville or St. Mary's.