Opening day is here

Well sort of. Louisiana Tech and Arkansas are about 3 1/2 hours away from starting the college baseball season in Louisiana.

That still gives you plenty of time to jump in the car and head to Ruston. If you were to leave rigth now, you could even catch some of the pig roast in the parking lot of the apartment complex beyond left field.

The apartments, which were completed last season, make for one of the neater backdrops around and are just another improvement to J.C. Love Field, turning it from a very blah field into something the Dawgs can use as a real home-field advantage.

As for the action on the field, tonight's pitching matchup should be a dandy as Arkansas sends junior lefty Nick Schmid to the mound against Tech's Luke Burnett who, at 6-foot-8, would be a great get for Tech hoops coach Keith Richard, but instead was a steal for Wade Simoneaux's improving program. Saturday's matchup between Tech's Jericho Jones and the Hogs' Duke Welker (seriously, there may not be a better name matchup all year) should be excellent as well.

The 42-degree weather may not say it, but it's baseball season in Louisiana.