Area baseball season begins Saturday in Hartford with a collegiate doubleheader

Once again, the first game of the year at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford will be a college baseball game with the University of Hartford. The Hawks are hosting a doubleheader Saturday with Central Connecticut State and UConn beginning at 11:30 a.m.

HARTFORD, March 30 – The Eastern League season doesn’t open until April 5 when the Hartford Yard Goats host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at 7 p.m.

But baseball will be played at Dunkin Donuts Park earlier than that. The University of Hartford baseball team will host a doubleheader against Central Connecticut State and UConn on Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m.

That kicks off a slate of eight collegiate games at Dunkin Donuts Park this spring and at least 16 high school games at the two-year-old facility.

This will be the first of four games at Dunkin Donuts Park for the Hawks (5-19). Hartford lost to Connecticut, 9-1 on Thursday but has won three of their last four games. The Hawks face Central Connecticut State at 11:30 a.m. and the Huskies at 3:30 p.m.

The Huskies (14-9) played their first 21 games of the season on the round and are thrilled to be back home with two games this weekend – all in Connecticut against Northeast opponents. Central Connecticut (7-10) lost to UConn on Friday, 6-1, but the Blue Devils have won four of their last six games. Central won the Northeast Conference a year ago and played in the 2017 NCAA Division I tournament.

UConn is also playing five games at Dunkin Donuts Park including Friday night and Saturday afternoon games against American Athletic Conference opponents Tulane and Houston on April 27-28 and May 11-12.

Avon will play a doubleheader at Dunkin Donuts Park on Monday, April 30 by facing Bulkeley/Weaver at 3:30 p.m. and then South Windsor in the nightcap beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Falcons faced Bulkeley/Weaver at Dunkin Donuts Park a year ago.

Avon High baseball coach Jon Yolles goes over the park’s ground rules before last April’s game against Bulkeley/Weaver at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford.

Avon Old Farms will challenge Kingswood-Oxford of West Hartford on Wednesday, April 18.

Hartford school Sport Science Medical Academy (SMSA) will play five games at Dunkin Donuts Park while Bulkeley/Weaver is scheduled to play three games at the park.