Dozens of college baseball teams were affected by the collapse of part of the Metrodome's roof, but the most high-profile program impacted was Minnesota. The Golden Gophers had 32 games scheduled for the dome this season, and even if the weather permitted them to play outdoors, their on-campus facility is "really not usable," in the words of coach John Anderson, because they have let it slip while raising money to build a new one.

So Minnesota has had to scramble to find alternate sites for many of its games while awaiting the Jan. 21 announcement about whether or not the Metrodome will be repaired by the end of March, as hoped.

Minnesota was scheduled to host Cal Poly for a three-game series from March 25-27, and then visit Cal Poly for three games next year. Instead, that home-and-home series has been reversed—so the Gophers will travel to Poly this year, then host the Mustangs next year.

The Dairy Queen Classic—scheduled for March 4-6 and featuring Washington State, Oklahoma State and South Alabama in addition to Minnesota—will be moved to either Vero Beach, Fla., or Tucson. That decision will be made this week, according to Anderson. [...] Continue Reading »

When California announced this fall that it would fold its baseball program after the 2011 season, its players were told they could transfer without sitting out a year after the season. But freshman righthander Eric Jaffe did not want to wait that long, electing instead to transfer to UCLA at the semester break and apply for a waiver from the NCAA to become eligible immediately.

Jaffe was granted that waiver, a source told Baseball America on Wednesday. UCLA formally announced later Wednesday that Jaffe will be eligible to pitch for the Bruins this spring, adding another elite power arm to a pitching staff chock full of them.

Jaffe had been the centerpiece of a Cal recruiting class that ranked 11th in the nation in BA's October rankings. He was one of just 10 pitchers to arrive at Division I schools this fall after ranking in the top 100 of BA's predraft rankings (which included high school and college players) last spring. He flashes a pair of true plus pitches in a fastball that reaches 95 mph and a wipeout curveball. He's also a two-way talent with huge raw power at the plate. [...] Continue Reading »