ROSEMONT, Ill. – Big Ten programs help open the 2015 NCAA baseball season this weekend as all 13 squads are scheduled to take the field for the first time Feb. 13-15. Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers each have opening-weekend series scheduled, while Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern and Ohio State are each slated to take part in various tournaments around the country.

Illinois’ first game is slated against New Mexico State at the Lamar University Cardinal Classic in Beaumont, Texas, while Indiana will play a three-game series at Stanford. Iowa takes on Kansas State in Port Charlotte, Fla., as part of the Snowbird Baseball Classic.

Maryland opens the Caravelle Resort Tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., against Western Kentucky, while Michigan travels to Long Beach State for a weekend series. Michigan State and Northwestern each travel to Surprise, Ariz., for the Oregon State Tournament.

Minnesota plays at Houston to open its season, while Nebraska is at UNLV. Like the Hawkeyes, Ohio State travels to the Snowbird Baseball Classic and will face George Mason. Penn State travels to Elon for its season opener, and Purdue is at Western Carolina. Rutgers opens its season with a weekend series at Miami.

Maryland was selected as the preseason Big Ten favorite following a vote of the conference coaches. The Terrapins were followed in the preseason poll by Nebraska in second place, No. 3 Illinois, Indiana in fourth place, No. 5 Michigan and Ohio State in sixth place. In addition, the conference coaches selected a Preseason Players to Watch list.