While Mother Nature may be doing her best to postpone it, baseball season is right around the corner.

The defending 4A state champion Charles Henderson Trojans open their title-defense season February 17 with a double header against Elba, and Dothan at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Andalusia.

Charles Henderson head coach said the early-season doubleheader is a chance for his team to impress right off the bat.

“We have opened up down there the last two seasons, and really enjoy it,” Irons said. “It is good opportunity for our guys to play on a college field in front of college coaches and see some good baseball teams. We hope to continue it for years to come.”

The Trojans will host the Terry Sikes Memorial Tournament February 27-March 1, and will welcome in a slew of 5A and 6A teams. Charles Henderson will play host to Baldwin County, Eufaula, Mountain Brook and Northview and games will be played at Frazier Field and Riddle-Pace Field on the Troy University campus.

Charles Henderson will take part in two other tournaments during the season. Beginning March 4, the Trojans will face some of the best teams from the city of Montgomery in the FCA Jason Armstrong Memorial Baseball Classic. The Trojans won the tournament in 2013.

The Trojans will also compete in the Gulf Coast Classic in Gulf Shores during the month of March. The Trojans won their pool last season, and will face Florence, Bob Jones, Pinson Valley and Pulaski (Ark.) Academy.

“We get to see where we stack up not only against teams from Alabama, but across the South,” Irons said. “It will be a difficult couple of days for us on the field, but we will be a better baseball team at the end of that tournament guaranteed.”

Charles Henderson will keep the same area alignment as last season, meaning the Trojans will play Headland, Ashford and Bullock County to determine playoff seeding.

Other non-region games on the schedule include a game against 5A Rehobeth, a double header against a strong 2A Slocomb team, home double header against rival Enterprise, a split series against Wicksburg, Hazel Green, McGill-Toolen and Muscle Shoals and four games against 3A power Opp.