With frigid temperatures and several inches of snow hitting Lawrence this week, you can’t blame Kansas University’s baseball team for wanting to get this season under way.

After all, while their classmates stay home in below-freezing temperatures, the Jayhawks will depart Thursday for Hawaii and will open their season Friday against Hawaii-Hilo.

“They’re certainly excited about the opportunity to play in Hawaii,” first-year coach Ritch Price said Friday at the team’s annual media day.

“The reality is, that’s a 16-hour plane trip. It’s going to be a long time on that plane.”

Kansas, which has seven returning starters among its position players and 17 newcomers, will play three doubleheaders in three days in Hilo.

NCAA rules usually prohibit teams from playing more than 56 regular-season games in a season. However, with Hawaii schools constantly struggling to schedule home games, an exemption is made if mainland universities are willing to make the long journey.

The Jayhawks, who finished last year at 22-29 overall and 5-21 in Big 12 Conference play, are more than willing.

“It’s been cold here, and we’ve been practicing outside,” said junior outfielder Ryan Baty, who started all 51 games last season. “We’re sure ready to get out to a little warmer environment.”

Obviously, hauling 30-plus student-athletes to the Hawaiian Islands comes with a heavy price tag.

Price, though, has it all figured out. The coach was under a contract with Easton bats while at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo for roughly $25,000. He was able to bring the contract to Lawrence with him, saving a lot of money that otherwise would’ve been spent on bats and other equipment.

KU baseball coach Ritch Price talks to reporters at the Jayhawks' annual media day. The Jayhawks, who open their season next week in Hawaii, met the media Friday.

“I was able to move some money that we used on supplies to help cover the cost of airfare,” Price said.

The Jayhawks will have 12 road games under their belt before Feb. 21 when they open home play at Hoglund Ballpark against Eastern Michigan. After Hawaii, they have a three-game series with Arkansas-Little Rock and perennial powerhouse Louisiana State in early February.

“We need to get on the field,” Price said. “We’re trying to raise the expectation levels of our players and the expectation levels of the program. We understand what the perception is, and our goal is to change that perception.”

Price stresses that the trip to Hawaii is a business trip, which won’t leave a lot of time for extracurricular tropical-related activities. Not that some of his players wanted to, anyway.

“I’d kill myself surfing,” Baty said. “Not a chance.”

Baty batted .341 last season. Senior outfielder Kevin Wheeler (.320) and junior outfielder Matt Tribble (.318) also return.

First-year pitching coach Steve Abney must rebuild a staff that lost Jeff Davis (Cleveland Indians) and Dan Olson (Florida Marlins) to the draft.