ST. PAUL – Who needs to travel 1500-plus miles to play or take in a baseball game in February when you have that luxury in your backyard? A week before the University of Northwestern baseball team hops on a plane with a final destination of the Sunshine State, they will make baseball history here in the land of 10,000 lakes, as the Eagles host Bethel University this Saturday in what will be the earliest played outdoor baseball game ever recorded in the history of Minnesota.

The two Snelling Avenue foes will square off at 1:30 p.m. at Reynolds Field in a single, nine-inning contest. The game will take the place of the originally scheduled matchup at UNW on May 9.

Saturday's forecast calls for sunshine and temps in the mid-50's – a rare phenomenon in February in what is heralded as the frozen tundra of the North.

While most institutions battle the frost and wet weather to put together a playable playing surface in the spring months, UNW's Reynolds Field – newly constructed in 2014 – is completely covered in artificial turf, which allows for easier snow removal and very few weather-related issues.

In last year's inaugural run on the newly surfaced field, Bethel played a doubleheader against UW-Stout on March 9, while Northwestern was on its annual spring break trip. That date currently stands as the earliest played game in Minnesota. Saturday's date of February 27 will shatter the previous mark.

Fans interested in seeing history and getting a February sunburn are encouraged to make a trip out to campus to take in their first baseball game of 2016. More information can be found at www.unweagles.com.