With the ground around campus covered in snow, the Kent State baseball team is heading for warmer, Southern climates to start the season.

On Friday, Kent State will be in North Carolina for a three-game series at Wake Forest, and next weekend, they will travel to Florida for three games against the Gators. The Flashes’ first 15 games are on the road. They won’t play at home until March 20 against Duquesne.

Picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference East Division, the Flashes return 16 letter winners, 10 are pitchers, from their 2006 MAC regular season championship team.

In order to achieve their ninth-consecutive 30-win season, the Flashes will rely on last year’s top hitter and All-MAC First Team third baseman Andrew Davis. Davis hit a team high .379 last season.

Gone from last year’s squad is shortstop Emmanuel Burriss, who was drafted 33rd overall by the San Francisco Giants. Burriss is already considered one of the Giants’ top infield prospects after hitting .307 and stealing 35 bases for their Class A affiliate, the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.

Former Flashes Andrew Saylor (Florida Marlins), Joseph Tucker (Detroit Tigers) and Chad Wagler (Houston Astros) were also drafted.

– Jonas Fortune