BOSTON -- The Northeastern University baseball team opens its 2026 campaign this Friday, February 13th as the Huskies travel to Phoenix, Arizona for the MLB Desert Invitational, a round-robin tournament featuring eight Division I programs across five MLB spring training facilities in the Greater Phoenix area. Northeastern faces Grand Canyon on Friday at 8 p.m. ET at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark, Nebraska on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Sloan Park, and Iowa on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Friday's game will stream on Arizona's Family Sports and the Mountain West Network, while Saturday and Sunday's contests will stream on MLB.com.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW:
1. WELCOME TO THE DESERT: The MLB Desert Invitational is in its seventh year as one of the premier opening-weekend events in college baseball, hosted by Major League Baseball across five spring training venues in the Greater Phoenix area. This year's eight-team field features Grand Canyon, Nebraska, UConn, Kansas State, Iowa, Penn State, Air Force, and Northeastern, with the Huskies making their first-ever appearance in the tournament. Three games will be nationally broadcast on MLB Network over the weekend. The event has previously hosted the likes of national champion Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and Michigan, among others. For Northeastern, it marks the third straight season playing an early-season series outside the Eastern timezone, following trips to Hawai'i (2025) and Arizona (2024). The Huskies will get a taste of the professional experience — Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark regularly draws 5,000+ fans for opening day, Sloan Park is the spring home of the Cubs, and Salt River Fields hosts the D-backs and Rockies.

2. PRESEASON HONORS: The defending CAA champions enter 2026 with a loaded resume of preseason accolades. Redshirt senior outfielder Harrison Feinberg was named the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, a D1Baseball Preseason All-America Second Teamer, an NCBWA Preseason All-America Second Teamer, and was added to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List — he's also ranked the No. 6 outfielder in the country by D1Baseball. Senior second baseman Carmelo Musacchia was named to the Preseason All-CAA Team, while junior outfielder Ryan Gerety earned Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention. Northeastern received all four possible first-place votes in the CAA North Division poll. On the national level, MLB.com identified Feinberg as one of the top names to know at the Desert Invitational.

3. SCOUTING THE COMPETITION: The Huskies face three programs coming off strong 2025 campaigns. Friday's opponent, Grand Canyon (31-27), enters its first season in the Mountain West after a stretch that includes three NCAA Tournament appearances since 2021 and a regional final run in 2024 — they regularly draw 5,000+ fans for opening day at Brazell Field, and Friday marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Saturday night brings Nebraska (33-29), a back-to-back NCAA Regional qualifier that returns roughly two-thirds of its offensive production and boasts Golden Spikes Watch List member Mason McConnaughey. The Huskers are picked fourth in the Big Ten preseason poll — the only prior meeting between NU and Nebraska was an 8-6 Husker win in the 2021 Fayetteville Regional. Sunday's opponent, Iowa (33-22-1), finished third in the Big Ten and led the conference standings for much of the season, posting a school-record seven All-Big Ten selections. Sunday at Salt River Fields will be the first-ever meeting between the Huskies and the Hawkeyes.