CHICAGO -- UIC will open postseason play at home this week as it hosts the Horizon League Championship tournament at Granderson Stadium. The Flames will begin the tournament on Thursday, May 25 at 11 a.m. CT.

By winning the the conference's regular-season title with a record of 22-8 in League play, UIC has secured the top seed in the six-team event, in addition to home-field advantage throughout the week. The tournament begins on Wednesday, May 24 and the Flames will matchup against No. 5 Oakland, the lowest remaining seed.

In day one action, the Golden Grizzlies broke a 4-4 tie with two runs in the top of the sixth inning and they went on to win 6-4 against fourth-seeded Valparaiso. All-Horizon League First Team selection Tyler Pagano collected three hits and drove in four runs for Oakland, two of which came on a home run in the fifth inning. Matt DiLeo also added three hits in the win for the Golden Grizzlies.

The Flames went 3-2 against Oakland this spring, with all five meetings taking place at Granderson Stadium. UIC batted .337 as a team in those games and scored an average of 7.6 runs per game. On the mound, Jake Dahlberg went 2-0 against the Golden Grizzlies and allowed only one earned run over 14.1 innings against them. The Horizon League Pitcher of the Year is listed as the Flames' probable starter for Thursday's postseason game.

No. 3 Northern Kentucky pounded out 17 hits and pushed across 11 runs in a six-run victory over No. 6 Milwaukee in the second game of the day. Chad Roberts had three hits and three RBI for the Norse, while Chicago Heights, Ill., native Brad Bohlen and T.J. Alas notched three hits each for the victors. NKU advances to face No. 2 Wright State at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

The full bracket can be found on the Tournament Central page.

Ticket sales begin one hour before the first scheduled game of each day. Daily admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children under 10. Students from Horizon League schools are free with a college ID. An All-Tournament pass is $25.

More notes and information about the Flames can be found below:

PERFECT TEN

• Ten members of the UIC baseball program were honored Tuesday when the Horizon League announced its 2017 postseason award winners. That matches the 2003 squad for the most postseason honorees in program history.
• For the first time ever, UIC boasted the Player of the Year (Rob Calabrese), Pitcher of the Year (Jake Dahlberg), Relief Pitcher of the Year (Alex Padilla) and Coach of the Year (Mike Dee) in the same season.
• Calabrese is the fourth Flame in program history to earn Player of the Year plaudits, joining Curtis Granderson (2002), Chuck Peters (2003) and former teammate Jeff Boehm (2015).
• Dahlberg claimed the Pitcher of the Year award for the second time in three years, becoming the first player in Horizon League history to win that award multiple times. He is only the third player, at any position, to win two Horizon League specialty awards. Jeff Beasley of Butler was named the Player of the Year in 1996 and 1998, while Wright State's Andrew Elliott was the League's Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
• Padilla becomes the second different UIC reliever to be named the Relief Pitcher of the Year in as many seasons. Trevor Lane, who claimed the recognition in 2016, is currently pitching for the Charleston RiverDogs, the Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees.
• Dee won the conference's Coach of the Year Award for the 10th time in 19 seasons. He won the award eight times between 1999-2008, and most recently in 2015.
• Calabrese (C), Dahlberg (SP) and Padilla (RP) were named to the All-Horizon League First Team, as was shortstop Cody Bohanek.
• UIC placed a League-high four players on the All-Horizon League Second Team, as well. Second baseman David Cronin, center fielder Mickey McDonald and starting pitchers Jack Andersen and Reid Birlingmair each earned nods.
• Newcomer Jacob Key rounds out the list of UIC honorees as the starting pitcher claimed a spot on the All-Freshman Team.

MAKE SPACE IN THE TROPHY CASE

• UIC secured its 12th Horizon League regular-season title last weekend at Wright State. After entering the series with a two-game lead, but dropping the first two games by a combined three runs, the Flames came from behind to win the regular-season finale, 5-2.
• Since 1996, UIC owns 12 Horizon League crowns, most of any program in conference history. Wright State is second on the list with five, while Milwaukee and former League member Butler have claimed three apiece

BEST OF THE BEST

• The 2017 Flames (36-15) became the fastest team in program history to reach 30 wins with a 1-0 walk-off win over Georgia Tech on April 28.
• This team beat the old record by one game, as the 2002 squad won for the 30th time in its 41st game.
• The 2002 and 2003 teams share the current program record for wins in a season with 39.
• UIC has now won at least 30 games a total of 13 times in program history and 10 times under head coach Mike Dee, including this campaign.
• Before this season, the program last won at least 30 games in 2008 (35). That season was the last in a streak of eight consecutive seasons with at least 32 victories.

PITCHING PROWESS

• The Flames rank second in the NCAA with an earned-run average of 2.67 through May 22, behind only No. 1 Oregon State (1.87).
• The lowest single-season ERA in program history belongs to the 2003 staff, which finished that year with a mark of 3.19.
• The team's WHIP (1.09) and Hits/9 (6.92) are second only to Oregon State (0.98; 6.27).
• UIC has pitched 10 shutouts, one behind Oregon State for the lead in the NCAA.
• The Flames own two of the top-three qualifying ERA's in the Horizon League in all games, and four of the top eight.
• Jake Dahlberg is second (2.25), Jacob Key is third (2.44), Reid Birlingmair is seventh (2.88), and Jack Andersen is eighth (3.32).
• Reliever Alex Padilla boasts a 0.51 ERA (2 ER/35.0 IP) out of the bullpen and a team-high eight saves. The Horizon League Relief Pitcher of the Year did not allow a run in 15 Horizon League outings with 18 strikeouts and eight walks in 22.1 IP.

DEFENSIVE DANDIES

• UIC not only leads the Horizon League, but also the entire NCAA with a fielding percentage of .984 through May 22. The team's 31 errors are the fewest in the country in 2017.
• The Flames boasted a fielding percentage of .986 through 30 Horizon League games. They were charged with 16 errors (0.53 per game) vs. conference foes.
• Second baseman David Cronin leads the Horizon League in assists with 168, while shortstop Cody Bohanek ranks second with 162. The next closest player, YSU's Web Charles, owns 147.
• Outfielder Scott Ota boasts the Horizon League's only spotless fielding percentage among qualifiers. He has added four assists from his post in right field. UIC first baseman Ricardo Ramirez is third in the League at .996.

DAHLBERG KEEPS DEALING

• Senior Jake Dahlberg set a career high with his ninth win of the season against Wright State on May 13. It was his 23rd victory in a UIC uniform, which ranks fifth on the program's all-time list, one shy of both Ryan Zink and Ryan Gehring.
• He ranks prominently among the national leaders in several statistical categories including: hits allowed per 9 IP (6th; 5.18), WHIP (7th; 0.84) and victories (11th; 9).
• Opponents are hitting .168 against Dahlberg in 14 starts and he is the only Horizon League pitcher with a mark below .200 (teammate Reid Birlingmair ranks second at .211).
• The left-hander leads UIC with 71 strikeouts and he became the fifth pitcher in program history to reach 200 for his career on May 13 against Wright State. He fanned two Raiders last time out and ranks fourth on the all-time list with 205.

CALABRESE KEEPS CRUSHING

• Junior Rob Calabrese hit safely in a career-high 16 games before the streak came to an end in game two of a doubleheader at Valpo on May 14. Calabrese slashed .475/.521/.729 during the stretch with 28 hits, 12 doubles, a home run, 18 RBI and 14 runs scored.
• The catcher reached base safely in 42 consecutive games before that streak concluded on May 14 against the Crusaders. That was the longest streak for any UIC player since Justin Johnson's 39 in a row to conclude the 2006 season.
• Calabrese batted .383 in conference games. He had 15 doubles in HL games to lead all players and 44 hits to rank tied for second.
• The Staten Island, N.Y., native leads the Horizon League and ranks 12th in the NCAA with 22 doubles. He leads UIC and is ranked second in the conference with 47 RBI in all games.

FROM THE DUGOUT - COACH DEE'S PREVIEW