As if to spite the calendar, Mother Nature forced the Penn State baseball team to postpone its home opener, scheduled for today, until tomorrow at Beaver Field.

And it's not truly spring until the first pitch of baseball season.

But there are tentatively just two more seasons for the Nittany Lions to play at their current home field, what with a new 6,000-seat stadium due to open in June 2006.

Located across from the stadium at the intersection of Curtain and Porter roads, the facility will house both Penn State and a minor league team affiliated with the Altoona Curve.

That's a fantastic opportunity for the baseball team and a terrific commitment from the university.

The potential benefits to all the parties are evident even with the opening date still so far in the future and with construction yet to begin.

This gives the baseball team what should be a stellar stadium and fantastic recruiting tool.

As the NCAA begins to consider a uniform starting date, coupled with the improvements that Lions first-year head coach Robbie Wine has made, and the signs of a top-tier program are beginning to emerge.

But the benefits to funding what has been considered a non-revenue sport don't end there.

This gives the area a prime drawing card for tourism, much in the same way that the Curve has used Blair County Ballpark.

It also provides a fine outdoor venue, possibly for concert series or other attractions for the warm summer months in Centre County.

That's important for both the university, because it enhances the number of people who come to campus, and the overall region, because it depends greatly on the influx of people generated by the university.

Ultimately, though, the push to make the baseball team a successful one is the best thing for Penn State.

Too often, as in the case of McCoy Natatorium's six-lane pool, the non-revenue sports take a back seat to the big money sports. Though these are the programs that make it possible for Penn State to fund the entirety of its 29 varsity sports.

That's a necessary arrangement, but it's fantastic to see the recent investment outside of football and basketball.

With the coming renovations to Rec Hall and baseball facilities, as well as the already-competed Jeffrey Field, it's a clear commitment to a wide range of athletes by the athletic department.

And it's one that just might pay dividends for everyone.