Kellen Sweeney has good memories of playing baseball at Veterans Memorial Stadium in high school games and Perfect Game events while living in Cedar Rapids.

He's hoping a return to his roots might help him snap an 0-for-12 slump that's seen his batting average plummet to .178 with the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League.

Sweeney and the Lugnuts are scheduled to play a three-game series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at Perfect Game Field. He played for Lansing part of last year, but the Lugnuts did not make any trips to Cedar Rapids during the 2012 campaign.

This will be his first appearance as a professional baseball player in his home town.

"I'm sure it's going to be pretty weird there," he said Monday. "Playing there for Perfect Game and stuff, you don't really think about it. Now you're going back and it's your job.

"It's going to be a fun experience to be able to play in front of everyone as a professional baseball player."

He's not sure how many relatives and friends will attend the games in Cedar Rapids.

"I have no idea," he said. "I've talked to them a little bit about it, but I'm not quite sure. We'll have my family and my girlfriend's family, and some buddies are coming."

Sweeney, 21, was selected in the second round of the 2010 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He has played in parts of four seasons as a pro, but has not been able to get untracked as a hitter.

He hit a combined .210 in 2012 with Lansing and Vancouver, including a .179 mark with the Lugnuts before being demoted a notch in the Toronto organization. Now he's hitting .178 with the Lugnuts again, although his average stood at .242 before his 0-for-12 skid.

"I've been hitting the ball fine, just nothing has been falling like usual," he said. "That's baseball."

Sweeney has played second base, third base and served as the designated hitter for Lansing. He's even played one game at first base for the Lugnuts after being primarily a third baseman the past three years in the minors.

He hit ninth in the lineup Tuesday in a 4-3 loss to Dayton and went 0-for-4 as the DH. He was told he'd split time between second base and third base this season, but isn't sure what to expect now.

"They told me I was going to play there (second base) most of the year, but obviously I've been DH-ing most of the time. I don't really know what's going on," he said.

Sweeney is 8-for-45 this season in 13 games with one double, two RBIs, 14 strikeouts and four walks. The Lugnuts (5-10) have played most of their games in cold, wet weather in the Midwest League with several games postponed.

"We played Friday at Fort Wayne and it was snowing off and on, basically like sleet," he said. "It was pretty brutal.

"At home (in Lansing) it's better, because I can go in the clubhouse and warm up a little bit. But on the road, it's tough. Most of the stadiums don't have a clubhouse that's connected to the dugout like we do.

"With the cold weather, it's tough to stay warm, especially as the DH. Other than that it's been all right."

Sweeney, a 2010 Cedar Rapids Jefferson graduate, expected to be assigned to Lansing again this year after struggling during much of the 2012 season.

"I'm OK with that," he said of playing in the Midwest League again. "I figured that's where I would be this year.

"Last year I didn't have that great a year and performed the way I should have. At least I get to come home and play in front of everyone and stuff like that the first month here, so it will be fun."

Lansing is scheduled to play a three-game series in Davenport this Thursday, Friday and Saturday before coming to Cedar Rapids for the three-game series. The game times are 2:05 p.m. Sunday, 6:35 p.m. Monday and 12:05 p.m. on Tuesday.