CHICAGO -- After the first go at the the home opener was canceled on Feb. 26, the UIC Flames will give it another try on Friday, March 8, when they will host the Chicago State Cougars in a doubleheader at Granderson Stadium.

UIC (1-7) has played only two games since collecting its first win of the season against a talented SEC squad in Texas A&M on Feb. 24. In addition to the scheduled game against Roosevelt being wiped out on Feb. 26, the Flames lost two chances to play at SIUE last weekend. Originally slated as a four-game series, UIC and SIUE played a shortened doubleheader on March 1. The Cougars won in eight innings on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the first game before the hosts claimed the second contest, 6-4, in seven innings.

Jacob Key, scheduled to make his fourth start of the season in Friday's first game for the Flames, pitched well against the Cougars. He tossed a complete game of 7.2 IP and struck out nine SIUE hitters without issuing a base on balls. At one point Key retired 16 consecutive hitters between the second and seventh innings. On the season the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native carries a 3.79 ERA in three starts with 16 strikeouts and only three walks in a team-high 19.0 IP.

Another veteran, Joey Fredrickson is UIC's probable starter in the nightcap. Fredrickson is 1-1 on the season with a 3.78 ERA. He earned the win at Texas A&M on Feb. 24 by pitching a career-high 8.0 IP and limiting the high-powered Aggies to two runs on five hits. He did not walk a batter that afternoon.

Newcomer Patrick Martin is third in the UIC rotation this weekend. He's made one start, at Texas A&M, and one relief appearance, at Kennesaw State. He's allowed one earned run in 6.0 IP this spring.

Thr Flames have scuffled at the plate early on and are batting only .187 as a team through the small sample of eight games. Matt Bottcher boasts the top average on the team, .310, while Scott Ota has four extra-base hits and a team-high five RBI. He has also scored six of the team's 24 runs in 2019.

Chicago State (3-6) last played at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla. The Cougars won three of their four games, topping Villanova twice and splitting a doubleheader with Mount Saint Mary's. CSU has a team batting average of .261 and it is averaging 5.4 runs per game. On the mound, the staff has an ERA of 8.01 and the opposition is batting .319.

The second game of Friday's doubleheader will air on ESPN+. Live stats will be available for both games.