HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros will host the 13th annual Houston Winter Invitational at Daikin Park at the end of the month, from Jan. 31-Feb. 2. The tournament will feature six NCAA Division II universities, squaring off in nine games across the three days. Tickets for the tournament are now available for purchase at Astros.com/WinterInvitational.

The tournament field features the University of Central Missouri, which co-hosts the event each year with the Astros, Arkansas-Monticello, Arkansas Tech, Ashland University (OH), Jefferson University (PA), and Mississippi College. Central Missouri is coming off another stellar season, in which they finished the year with a 52-10 record and ranking fifth in the final 2024 NCBWA National Poll.

Central Missouri is the alma-mater of Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane, who was a standout right-handed pitcher in his college career. He pitched for the Mules from 1973-76, posting a 21-8 record with a career 2.42 ERA. Crane still ranks atop the Central Missouri career leaderboards in complete games (23) and shutouts (7) and ranks fifth in strikeouts (215). He still holds the Mules single-game strikeout record of 18, which at the time, set a DII College World Series record. Crane was inducted into the University of Central Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997, and earned an induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

Crane contributes to Central Missouri annually to provide athletic scholarships for Mules baseball. Additionally, Crane was the primary underwriter of a $1.2 million renovation in 1998 of the old Mules Field on the University of Central Missouri campus, which has since been renamed the James R. Crane Stadium. In 2016, Crane and the UCM Foundation upgraded the university¡¯s baseball facility with a new synthetic turf playing surface. In 2021, a lead gift from Crane paved the way for the new Mules Baseball Clubhouse which features an MLB-style layout for the baseball program.

2025 Houston Winter Invitational Schedule (times subject to change) (home teams listed second)

Friday, Jan. 31
10 a.m. Mississippi College vs. Arkansas-Monticello
1:30 p.m. Arkansas Tech vs. Jefferson University
5 p.m. Ashland vs. Central Missouri

Saturday, Feb. 1
10 a.m. Arkansas Tech vs. Ashland
1:30 p.m. Arkansas-Monticello vs. Central Missouri
5 p.m. Jefferson University vs. Mississippi College

Sunday, Feb. 2
10 a.m. Ashland vs. Arkansas-Monticello
1:30 p.m. Jefferson University vs. Central Missouri
5 p.m. Mississippi College vs. Arkansas Tech