RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — For the third consecutive season, the Arkansas Tech baseball team will head to Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, to compete in the Houston Winter Invitational.

The No. 17/24 Wonder Boys (2-2) will play four games in four days, three of which come against teams ranked in the top eight of their region. Action will kick off at 2 p.m. Thursday with a game against St. Mary's of the Lone Star Conference. Tech then faces off in a nonconference meeting with GAC rival Henderson State Friday at 10 a.m. The Central Region action continues at 2 p.m. Saturday against Central Missouri, before wrapping up Sunday evening at 6 against Texas foe Tarleton State.

Tech went 3-1 at the event in 2014, including wins over Henderson and Tarleton, to kick start a season that saw the team finish 44-12 and earn a berth in the NCAA Central Region Tournament. This year, coach Dave Dawson's crew is the only one coming into the invitational with games under its belt after splitting a pair of doubleheaders last weekend against Missouri Western. It's four opponents will be taking the field for the first time in Houston.

The Wonder Boys are the top-ranked team of the six in the tournament, but Central Missouri comes in at No. 23 in Collegiate Baseball's poll, with St. Mary's and Tarleton State receiving votes. Tech was selected fourth in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America preseason Central Region poll, with UCM right behind at No. 5. St. Mary's and Tarleton were picked fifth and eighth, respectively, in the South Central Region.

Tickets are sold as general admission and provide access for a single day of competition. Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for students and $5 for youth, while children 3 and under do not require a ticket.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.mlb.com/hou/ticketing/invitational.jsp.