Barring a rain out, Friday will be the unofficial grand opening of the brand new Round Lake Baseball Stadium, you know, that fancy field with the welcoming scoreboard you see as you drive by on Eden Prairie Road.

The first team to use this field will be the back-to-back-to-back-to-back state champion Eden Prairie American Legion team.

“We wanted some of our seniors to get a chance to use it,” explains Gary Kraemer, president of the Eden Prairie Baseball Association.

“The plan,” he adds, “is to hold the official Grand Opening in the spring, when everyone is playing and thinking baseball.”

Legion Coach Scott Hackett said his team, which includes three college players along with seven 2008 Eden Prairie High School graduates, is thrilled.

“Not only are they excited to get on that field,” he said, “but they think it’s pretty neat that they get to be the first ones.”

For what it’s worth, Friday’s game, against Bloomington Blue and under the lights beginning at 7:30 p.m., could be the game where Eden Prairie clinches a league title.

The league is 10 games long; as of Tuesday, Eden Prairie was 8-0.

But back to the stadium. “Other than a couple things,” said Hackett, “I don’t know that guys will notice much of a difference.”

The biggest difference is lights (the Eden Prairie High School field has none). The new field also has grass baselines, nicer dugouts, an easier-to-see-through backstop, better seats …