U baseball closes with long homestand, but home opener March 24?

So when the Gophers baseball schedule comes out, what is the first thing you look at?

For me, it's easy. When is the first home game -- now that the Metrodome is history and the Gophers play outside at the new Seibert Field.

In 2015, there is a 3 p.m. nonconference game scheduled with Augsburg on March 24.

Think they will get that game in? The average temperature in Minneapolis that date, based on figures from 1998 to 2012, is between 33 and 46. It is rarely below 21, or above 60.

Bring a jacket.

It's usally partly cloudy with a 45 percent chance of precipitation, usually a little snow, but it's least likely to fall around 4 p.m.

There's an 18 percent chance there will be snow on ground. (Seems low.) And the average depth, if there is snow, is 4.6 inches.

Here is a breakdown of the rest of the schedule -- divided into four parts:

I. The Southern Trek (18 games, plus 1 exhibition)

Anderson's boys of spring start out with seven games in Texas, three vs. Houston Feb. 13-15, four vs. Texas, Feb. 20-22.

Then it's on to Fort Myers, Fla., for three games vs. Florida Gulf Coast Feb. 27-28 and March 1 and an exhibition with the Minnesota Twins on March 4.

Next stop is Omaha, March 6-8 for two games against Creighton and, in between, one against North Dakota.

II. The Big Ten road swing (14 games)

The Gophers open the Big Ten season on the road at conference newcomer Maryland, March 20-22, in College Park. And three of their first four series in conference play are on the road.

Next is Northwestern at home, March 27-29, weather permitting.

Then on the road again, at Rutgers, the other new conference team, April 3-5 in Piscataway, N.J. and at Nebraska, April 10-12.

Now blended in there, on weekdays, are nonconference games at home against Augsburg, as mentioned above, on March 24 and St. Thomas, on April 8.

After returning from Lincoln, Neb. The Gophers can pretty much put their suitcases away. They are home for 16 of their final 20 regular-season games.

The schedule:

North Dakota, April 14

Penn State, April 17-19

South Dakota State, April 22

Kansas State, April 28-29

California-Irvine, May 1-3

Then two nearby out-of-town junkets:

At North Dakota State, May 5

At Iowa, May 8-10

Michigan State, May 14-16

IV. Postseason

The top eight Big Ten teams advance to the conference tournament and the champion there gets an automatic NCAA bid.

What's nice for the Gophers is that for the second time in three years, the Big Ten Tournament is at Target Center, May 20-23.

The regionals are May 29-31

The College World Series in Omaha is June 13-15.

Big Ten schedule breakdown

Play on the road: Maryland, Rutgers, Nebraska, Iowa

Play at home: Northwestern, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State