Game times for the 'Birds

Game times have been announced for the Springfield Cardinals' 2006 campaign, with very little change involved. The 'Birds will still have their 7:10 weeknight starts and 6:10 Saturday and Sunday night games. There will be a few 12:10 p.m. weekday "Business Person's Specials."

Changes are to Sunday afternoon games - moved back to 2:10 - and a few 12:10 p.m. first pitches on Saturday.

The Saturday change is the most intriguing. The team's release says it's "taking advantage of the early Spring season." Translation: We'll make the Missouri State Bears play in the cold. There are three Saturday afternoon games for the Cardinals: April 8 (Arkansas), April 22 (Tulsa) and May 6 Corpus Christi.

Springfield's press release goes on to mention that the Cardinals and MO State will combine to play a total of 97 games at Hammons Field - good news, the Bears will be playing at the Hamm - with seven double-headers. Those dates are April 21-23, May 5-7 and May 10.

It looks like the Bears and Kansas have flip-flopped home games (or my notes were wrong...surely not), so MSU will host KU now on May 10 - a Wednesday. The Cardinals are playing a getaway 12:10 start against San Antonio, putting the Bears' game at 7 p.m., per KU's web site.

April 21-23 - as we previously reported - will be a visit from the Salukis of Southern Illinois. Expect an early afternoon game Friday, night game Saturday and a dreaded early Sunday start to make room for the Cardinals' 6:10 game with Tulsa.

I'm not sure yet who'll be visiting May 5-7 (either UNI, Evansville or Creighton), but expect the same scheduling format as the SIU weekend. The Cardinals are finishing up with Corpus Christi that Friday and Saturday. San Antonio comes to visit Sunday.

I did notice on KU's schedule they will be playing two games in two days against Creighton and SEMO April 25-26 in something called "Best in the Midwest." What a hot, steaming load that is. You're going to have a "Best in the Midwest" college baseball event and include SEMO and KU?

P.S. - Apologies for the ginormous MSU logo on the previous post. I'll try to correct that next.