The blizzard that hit the Twin Cities on December 10th and 11th dropped 17 inches of snow on the Metrodome roof, leading to the collapse early in the morning on December 12th.

Baseball coaches scheduled to play games at the Metrodome during February and March received an email late Monday night from Ron Perpich of Metrodome College Baseball. The email informed the coaches that all college games scheduled for the Metrodome this spring are canceled.

Perpich, who schedules the games at the Metrodome for colleges, said, "Early predictions were that the Dome would be available for TwinsFest in late January. I was encouraged by that report. However, I just received the disappointing news that our entire schedule will be canceled because the Dome won’t be available until late March."

He concluded the email by saying, "I am devastated by this news as I have invested a considerable amount of time putting together this schedule and trying to accommodate each of your requests. More importantly, I realize the impact this cancellation has for each of you and for your players. This is a significant loss for each of us. We are reminded of the important role that the dome has played for college baseball since 1984."

On Wednesday night, KSTP interviewed Hamline head coach Jason Verdugo regarding the situation for the 10:00 p.m. news.

On Thursday evening, Hamline alum Mike Max interviewed Verdugo on WCCO 830.

Verdugo and the Hamline coaching staff are currently working to find new dates or replacements for the 13 non-conference games the Pipers were scheduled to play at the Metrodome. Hamline's final double-header was supposed to be their MIAC opener against Concordia College. That double-header will still take place, although a new location (and possibly date) will be included in the revised schedule.

Please check the Hamline baseball schedule regularly for updates. An announcement regarding a final updated schedule will be made on the Hamline website when available.