Like many ideas, the thought of the Kansas University baseball team playing at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, home of the Kansas City T-Bones, took years to develop.

In this case, KU coach Ritch Price and T-Bones manager “Dirty” Al Gallagher met at a KU early season practice in 2003, around the time the T-Bones’ new stadium opened.

There, the small talk became a big idea.

“The coaching staff and I took him to lunch,” Price said on his weekly radio show Monday, “and one of things he talked about was wanting to help us.”

Price was interested, and what came of it was the inaugural Best of the Midwest Tournament, which starts today at CommunityAmerica in Kansas City, Kan.

KU (25-20) will play at 7 tonight against New Mexico State, then conclude the two-day tourney with a noon game Wednesday against Sacramento State.

Kansas State also will play at CommunityAmerica, at 2 p.m. today and 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The Best of the Midwest Tournament is just on its feet, but the Kansas City Sports Commission has bigger plans in mind for upcoming years. Next season, Missouri and Creighton will be added to the field, and the future vision is to invite college baseball powerhouses.

Not that New Mexico State and Sacramento State are chopped liver.

Ground crews work at CommunityAmerica ballpark in this file photo. The Kansas University baseball squad will play today and Wednesday at CommunityAmerica in Kansas City, Kan., during the Best of the Midwest Tournament. The Jayhawks will play New Mexico State at 7 tonight, then play Sacramento State at noon Wednesday.

The Aggies, KU’s first opponent, currently are 22-17 and have been contenders for years in the Sun Belt Conference. This season, the Aggies are mashing the ball, compiling a team batting average of .343. In one four-game series against Chicago State, NMU plated 88 runs, including a 32-4 victory in the series opener.

In all, the Aggies have scored at least 15 runs in a game a whopping 11 times this season.

“They lead the nation in hitting,” Price said. “They’re really physical with the bat, and their games are high-scoring.”

Sacramento State made the trip thanks to a personal invitation by Price, a friend of Hornets coach John Smith. The Hornets are 18-22 this season, and their roster includes Kenny Livesey, a right-handed pitcher who played last season at Kansas.

Today and Wednesday’s games probably will be more festive than normal midweek college games. A large number of Kansas City-area K-State alumni are expected to show up Wednesday, and KU is planning a barbecue before tonight’s game.

“We’re trying to attract the Jayhawk fans in the Kansas City metro area,” Price said. “It’s a great place to put the in-state rivals in the same setting.”

Mike Zagurski (4-4, 4.74 earned-run average) will start tonight, after his scheduled start Sunday against Texas Tech was rained out. Sean Land (3-4, 5.29) will start Wednesday.

After the midweek tourney, KU will stick to its made-over weekend rotation against Kansas State, starting Kodiak Quick on Friday, Tyson Corley on Saturday and Zagurski on Sunday.