Wildcats sweep Utah

The Arizona Wildcats captured their first Pac-12 conference series of the year at Hi Corbett Field on Saturday as they defeated Utah 2-1. The Wildcats won the first two games of the series, 4-3 and 15-4. The three wins were a welcome sight after a dismal 0-6 start in conference play. Arizona moves to 18-11 on the season.

The top five hitters after 29 games include: Brandon Dixon (.413), Zach Gibbons (.373), Johnny Field (.362), Trent Gilbert (.348) and Kevin Newman (.327).

Arizona host California in a three-game series next weekend.

Texan leads Team Blue to 6-4 win

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


John "The Texan" Petrick highlighted a four-run fourth inning with a two-run single to left field, one of five hits in the inning, to lead Team Blue to a come-from-behind 6-4 win over Team White at Udall Park today in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game.

Petrick's big blow helped turn a 4-2 deficit into a two-run lead and Team Blue's starting pitcher Arnie White, another 71-year-old, worked out of jams in the fifth, sixth and seventh inning to earn the win. Lloyd Barzell, 62, pitched a complete game for Team White, but Team White stranded too many runners and were unable to come up with a key hit when they needed it.

Petrick (above photo) spends his winters in Tucson and his summers at his home in Bluffton, Texas. A catcher, John is old school behind the plate and is the only TOTS' catcher who will run down the first baseline, after a hit to an infielder, as he backs up the first baseman in case of an overthrow.

John didn't get a lot of playing time this winter and is struggling at the plate. But not today as he found a Barzell fastball to his liking and smacked the ball to the warning track.

"I've been hitting right at people, but today I got a hold of one," Petrick said, after the game. "It felt good."

Petrick is in pretty good shape for his age. It must be all those sprints to first base.

The TOTS completed a three-game set this week and will back at Udall Park on Monday morning.

The TOTS -- The Early Years

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball


In 1968 a retired gentleman from New York City decided to spend his "golden years"  in the desert. Like so many other Easterners the gentleman found the climate in Tucson to his liking, but unlike many retirees, he couldn't sit around for hours in his patio each day and listen to the birds sing, nor was he about to resort to a friendly game of shuffleboard or a round of checkers every now and then.

No, Joe Gorman, who grew up playing America's favorite pastime in his New York neighborhood, wanted to continue to play the game of baseball --  even as a senior citizen. So, he organized the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)...and that my friends was 45 years ago.

Gorman was confident, no, he was absolutely certain, that he could find some old-time ball players willing to meet three days a week at a city park and play the game of baseball. He had a vision that those old ball players, once they got wind of such an endeavor, would dust off their old leather gloves, grab their Louisville Slugger, kiss their wife on the cheek and head for the ball park.

Boy! Was he ever right.

For 45 years, the TOTS have assembled, first -- in the early years at Himmel Park, later on moving to Fort Lowell Park, before finding their home -- their current home, at Udall Park.

Gorman said, in an interview in mid-October of 1968, "Once a baseball player, always a baseball player."

The TOTS of the late-1960s and the early 1970s are gone now, but I envision them sitting outside the pearly gates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, looking down on Udall Park and watching...and "jabbering" among themselves about the goings-on below with the latest flock of TOTS.

They laugh and even joke with their teammates in Heaven, at the speed of a current TOT, who was, at that very moment on earth,  trying his best to beat out a slow roller to first base. The "heavenly TOTS" of yesteryear would clap in unison at the conclusion of the game below, pick up their own baseball gear and head for their own ball game, to the big stadium in the sky where the turnstiles clang daily as the "heavenly baseball fans" fill the bleachers and roar their approval at every pitch.

I'm a TOT for life. I was recently named the club's historian -- keeper of all the boxes of artifacts, if you will, photos...stories...trophies, you name it, I have them now. The TOTS' albums are like reading a novel with characters of the 1960s, 1970s, the 1980s and 90s. Endless material on a group of men who love baseball

I ran across the story of Bob Wolken. Bob was born in 1919 and passed away the winter of 1997. Just weeks before his death, he made sure his daughter, Marie, paid a full year of dues to the TOTS, even though he had been on the disabled list for more than a year.

Wolken, who played 15 years for the TOTS, was laid to rest in his TOTS' jacket and full pin-stripe uniform. "Take me out to the ball game" was the music selected for the organist to play. And, it was no coincidence that Bob's funeral service was held on a non-game day.

And then there's the story of Lee Moser, who was born during the fall of 1930. Moser joined the TOTS in 1992 and on March 20, 1995, while playing catcher for the TOTS, was critically injured on a collision with the runner at the plate.

Due to internal injuries, Lee was not expected to live, but recovered, and with the help of his family, battled back and not only lived but returned to the ball field -- back in full swing as a TOT.

Due to Moser's collision at home plate, the TOTS changed their bylaws to allow for an extra plate to be placed 10 feet from home plate. The runner must head for the offset target, while the catcher must receive the throw at home. If the catcher has possession of the ball, before the runner reaches the secondary plate, he is out.

Since then, no serious injury has occurred at home plate in a TOTS' game. Not saying there hasn't been injuries on the field of play over the years, because there certainly has -- just like in the big leagues.

The above stories of old-time baseball players like Joe Gorman, Bob Wolken and Lee Moser are just a few samplings I have run across as I slowly turn the pages of the TOTS' archives.

In 2018, the organization will celebrate 50 years and the "rookies" (those current TOT players who are 60 years of age) will have five years under their belt and will be veterans on the ball club. Chances are a new batch of "young" players, referred to by the club members as "the newbies" will filter in and join in the fun.

A never ending stream of baseball players, who can't, and won't, give up the game.

The founder of the TOTS had a vision and it certainly became a reality. A reality which will continue for years to come.

Photo below is Lee Moser, alive and kicking and setting in the bleachers at a recent TOTS game.

Live and die by the three!

Live and die by the three.

The Ohio State Buckeyes for the second straight game in the NCAA Tournament puts up a game-winner from long range to beat their opponent -- unfortunately, their opponent tonight was our own Arizona Wildcats (28-7).

Even the fan-friendly Staples Center didn't help our Wildcats tonight as LaQuinton Ross drains a three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to escape with a 73-70 Sweet Sixteen win and with the victory advance to the Elite Eight and a chance on Saturday to advance to the Final Four.

As for the Wildcats and their fans, well they'll pack their bags later tonight and head home to Tucson.

Arizona led at the end of the first half, 34-30, but the Buckeyes took it to the Wildcats in the second half and held the lead until the final minute of play when Mark Lyons raced down the court and banked in a layup to pull the Wildcats within one point, at 70-69. Lyons was fouled on the play and calmly sank the free throw to tie the game.

The final seconds turned into the Aaron Craft and LaQuinton Ross show. At center court, Craft drove toward the top of the key, stopped, and flipped a pass back to Ross, who then let loose with an NBA three-pointer.

Nothing but net!

Season over for the Wildcats.

Lyons scored a team-high 23 points, while Solomon Hill added 16. Nick Johnson scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Deshaun Thomas scores 20 for the Buckeyes (29-7), but it was the 17 by Ross -- including the three at the end of the game that ended Arizona's season.

Crafty hurler and hard-hitting outfielder lead TOTS Blue to 8-2 win

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

The call him an "off-speed pitcher." They call him "crafty." Some simply refer to his offerings as "slower than molasses," but whatever you say about 83-year-old TOTS' pitcher Billy Heiny, he gets the job done.

Today at Udall Park, Heiny allowed eight hits, but gave up just two runs as Team Blue beat Team White, 8-2. Heiny, as usual, relied on his defense and key hits by his teammates to record the victory, his third win in the month of March.

"I was able to get the ball where I wanted to today," Heiny said. "And I got a lot of support from my teammates."

Right fielder Bob Daliege supplied most of the punch at the plate for Heiny today. Daliege doubled in two runs in the third and cleared the bases in the sixth inning with another double. His two hits accounted for five of the runs, while Jesse Ochoa drove in two runs with two singles and Jerry Hamelin knocked in a run on a fielder's choice play.

Bob Royer, who at times is as crafty on the mound as Heiny, threw well for the first three innings, but Daliege's gapper to right-center field quickly turned a 1-0 game into a 2-1 lead for Team Blue.

It was another pleasant day at Udall Park with nothing but blue sky and a temperature hovering around 75 degrees. The TOTS go at again on Friday, the third of three games this week.

The Iron Bat

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Three days a week the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team sets up shop at Udall Park. They unlock the storage locker and disperse the equipment that is inside to its rightful place. The bats are placed one by one alongside the fence, just to the left of home plate. The bases are locked into place and within minutes another 60-and-over baseball game begins.

Amidst the row of bats is one piece of lumber which gets very little love. It is not made of wood, it is more like a piece of iron -- a homemade job owned by 71-year-old Doc Thompson. The owner has gone as far as to tape on the words, "Doc", on the huge piece of steel.

Doc, one of top hitters on the TOTS, will use the giant bat on occasion, but the fella who loves to use the longest and heaviest "tool of  the trade" available is 86-year-old Jack Glickman. Jack weighs 130 pounds soaking wet, on a 5 foot, 6 inch frame. At first glance, the bat looks to be chest high on Jack,  the second oldest player on the ball  club.

What happens next is mind boggling.

Jack, who bats right handed, steps to the plate and takes a few practice swings. Jack awaits the pitcher's offerings and when he gets a pitch to his liking, he PULLS the ball down the third baseline!

In a recent game, Jack frustrated the pitcher by fouling off seven pitches, before (you guessed it!) drilling a single by the third baseman.

Glickman (photo above) was born in New York, NY on January 16, 1927 and recently celebrated his 86th birthday and is 18 months younger than the oldest active member of the TOTS, Floyd Lance.

Jack will be back with the TOTS next week. His first order of business will be to survey the bat rack (so to speak), looking for his favorite piece of "iron".

Aces right hander takes no-hitter into 5th inning

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)


60-and-over Aces


The 60-and-over Aces received a pitching gem from Lloyd Barzell and lost 1-0 at Udall Park today to the Old Pueblo Club in an old timers baseball game. Barzell  walked just one batter in the first four innings and the lone runner was doubled up in the top of the fourth, allowing the Aces' right hander to face the minimum batters through the first four innings.

Barzell lost his no-hit bid and the game in the top of the fifth when Mike Morales, Vic Acuna and Benny Insalma strung together three hits to plate the only run of the ball game.

The Aces stranding 14 runners in the seven inning game and had two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the last inning, but hard-hitting Dick Ducklow lined out to the Old Pueblo left fielder, who made a shoestring catch to preserve the win for Old Pueblo.

"It was a real close one," Aces manager Jerry Hamelin said, following the game. "We had plenty of chances to score and just couldn't get a run in."

The Aces had eight his in the game, while the Old Pueblo Club ended up with just six hits. Ted Davis and Jim Sears recorded hard hit doubles, while Barzell (in above photo) aided his cause with two singles.

The two teams have a history of scoring runs in bunches, but not today.

4-run 6th inning helps Team Blue to 7-5 win

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

A four-run sixth inning ignited Team Blue to a 7-5 win today at Udall Park over Team White in a 60-and-over old-timers game. Back-to-back doubles by Dave Rhoades and Ted Davis highlighted the bottom of the sixth inning and gave Team Blue a 7-3 cushion heading into the final inning.

Team White picked up two runs in the top of the seventh, but with two-out and two runners on base, Mal Zwolinski, 75, popped up to 83-year-old Billy Heiny at second base to end the game.


Lefty Ron Petersen, 67, picked up the win and right hander Bob Daliege, 64, was saddled with the loss. The TOTS go at it again on Wednesday at Udall, in the second of three games this week.

Photos: Dave Rhoades (top), Ted Davis (bottom).

Oregon sweeps Wildcats

The Arizona baseball team lost all three games at Oregon this week and fall to 15-11 on the season and 0-6 in Pac-12 play. Brandon Dixon still leads the Wildcats with a .408 batting average and leads the team in hits with 40 and is second in RBI with 27. Trent Gilbert has driven in the most runs with 29. The Wildcats team batting average has slipped to .308. Utah up next for Arizona as the Wildcats return home for a three-games series, beginning on Thursday.

Buckeyes are the next target for Wildcats

The 2nd-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 after a 78-75 victory over 10th-seeded Iowa State in Dayton, Ohio today on a last-second 3-pointer by guard Aaron Craft and will take on our own Arizona Wildcats on Thursday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Buckeyes own wins over Iona and now the Cyclones, a team that fought back from 13 down and even took the lead with two minutes to go before the Buckeyes were able to tie the game, setting up the game-winner by Craft.

So, it's our 6th-seeded Arizona Wildcats (27-7) against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (28-7).

I can't wait!

The Boys of Autumn Summer

They say it is the love of the game --
a way to stay active in a stalagmite world --
a refusal to allow hip surgeons to define
the good life.

If I didn't play baseball, they say.
I would be watching daytime TV,
or belching a beer on my bib.

They take another cut at an imaginary ball,
and hide a wince. Damned arthritis, they think,
is all that stands between them and a Texas line-drive
halfway to Texas.

They are TOTs: Tucson Old Timers

They play baseball. Something like Toys-R-US
with grownup toys.

The bylaws says you have to be sixty, but their
secret is that they are kids playing a grown-up game.

When the bat is too heavy and the ball is too hard.

They are peanut brittle in a caramel world.

They are the tots of summer, boys forever,
finally able to afford the time it takes to break
into a run.

Note:  The above written by a true TOTS' fan -- an observation in the bleachers by Conrad Royksund, a wonderful human being who loves life...and baseball. Read more from his blog at www.smokesound.blogspot.com

Photo credit: Taken by Conrad Royksund prior to a TOTS dress-out game at Tucson Udall Park.

A wild and crazy West Region!

If (and it's a big if) Iowa State upsets Ohio State tomorrow in the West Region of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, then the No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 seeds will all be ousted from "March Madness", leaving the Arizona Wildcats as the highest seeded team left when play resumes at the Staples Center on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Wow! What a wild and crazy West Region.

College basketball, you got to love it.

Tourney Notes: California loses to Syracuse 66-60 tonight, but Oregon pulls off a 74-57 win over Saint Louis and advances to the Sweet Sixteen.

How "Sweet Sixteen" it is!

The Arizona Wildcats are heading for the Sweet Sixteen. Staples here we come!

Arizona (27-7) rolls over Harvard 74-51 today in Salt Lake City in a third-round NCAA game that was never in doubt, thanks to the hot-shooting and all around play of senior guard Mark Lyons.

Lyons nets 27 points on a 12 for 17 shooting performance from the field to lead the Wildcats to their second win of the tourney.

Arizona's defense wasn't bad either. In fact, the Wildcats' defense was outstanding as they held Harvard to 27 percent from the field and a dismal 27 percent from beyond the  three-point line. The heralded long-range shooter for Crimson, Laurent Rivard, scored just three points in the game, making just 1 of 6 shots as Harvard made 16 of 58 from the field.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, canned 27 of 49 and made nine of 15 threes. Solomon Hill collected a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordin Mayes came off the bench to score eight points and dish out three assists. Eight players scored for the Wildcats and 12 players saw action as coach Sean Miller cleared the bench in the final moments of the game.

And now, it's on to the SWEET SIXTEEN!

Stanford, ASU basketball season comes to an end

It's all over for the Stanford Cardinal as they fall to top-seeded Alabama today in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament. The Cardinal head home as does Arizona State, a victim in the second round to Baylor yesterday.

Washington lost in the first round to BYU, so the Cardinal, the Sun Devils and the Huskies can finally call it a day and begin to focus on next season.

With Colorado and UCLA already victims in the NCAA Tournament, that leaves the "big three" left to represent the Pac-12 Conference as Arizona, Oregon and California battle in Round 3 for the right to move on to the Sweet Sixteen. Today it's our Wildcats against Harvard in Salt Lake City, while Oregon faces St. Louis and California battles Syracuse in San Jose.

 

Day 2 tourney results costly

I was feeling pretty good after Day 1 -- the opening games in the second round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. I finished 15 of 16 with my bracket picks, my only loss, the Harvard-New Mexico game.

But yesterday's games were a different story as I went 9 for 16. I mean, go figure! Florida Golf Coast over Georgetown. Give me a break!

I, of course, went with my heart and picked Arizona, California, Oregon, UCLA and Colorado to win and that scenario computes to 3-2. The Bruins were down a man against Minnesota and so were the Buffaloes as their main man Spencer Dinwiddie found early foul trouble and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn when he was in the game against Illinois. The young man, of course, went crazy when he played against the Wildcats.

Oh well, let's see what today brings.

Arizona wins NCAA Tournament opener

Arizona allowed the Belmont Bruins just 20 points in the first half and banged the boards for 40 minutes, routing the Nashville team  81-64 today in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

The Wildcats led at the end of the first half 32-20 and outscored the Bruins 49-44 in the final 20 minutes as four Arizona players ended up in double figures. Mark Lyons pumped in 23 points, hitting 8 of 15 shots from the field and 4 of 5 from the free throw line. Kaleb Tarczewski, Nick Johnson and Kevin Parrom chipped in a dozen points apiece.

Arizona out rebounded Belmont 42-15 and held the Bruins to 39 percent shooting from the field as Belmont canned  20 of 51 shots, while hitting just 8 of 27 from three-point land -- a cool 29 percent.

Eight Wildcats grabbed rebounds during the game with Parrom and Tarczewski tying for game honors in that category with eight apiece. Arizona shot 56 percent from the field, hitting 29 of 51 shots -- including a nine for 17 effort from beyond the three-point line.

And now hold on to your hat. Arizona (26-7) will play Harvard (20-9)  on Saturday with the winner moving on to the Sweet Sixteen. The 14th-seeded Crimson won their first-ever NCAA tournament game with a 68-62 upset win tonight over the three-seeded Lobos from New Mexico.

March Madness begins!

It's finally here. March Madness will be in full swing today. I filled out my brackets and once again I went with my heart and included my Arizona Wildcats in the Final Four. I know, I'm a dreamer and that is probably the main reason I'm not rich and famous.

If you're an old fella like me, retired and no longer trying to out-do your fellow co-worker in an office pool, you can afford to pencil in the hometown team if you want. Your chances, of course, are slim. It's like winning the lottery.

As we head into today's second round games (remember those play-in games are considered the first round), I try to look back at those NIT first-round and BCI first-round games, which were completed earlier in the week, looking for signs, although meaningless signs if you will, to come up with some kind of a gage as to what's coming. You know the old scenario if such-an-such beats such-an-such then it's possible that such-an-such can advance to the Sweet Sixteen and maybe even the Final Four.

In other words, you can get yourself in a real dither before the referee throws up the first ball today.

I'm picking (and I hate all three) Kansas, Duke and Indiana to advance to the Final Four, along with my Arizona Wildcats. If I hit the sofa, close my eyes and dream, I can see the crowd roaring on April, 6 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta -- the electronic sign at center court pulsating with the names of the Jayhawks, the Blue Devils, Indiana and my very own ARIZONA WILDCATS!

What I do know, as of right now, which is a good 12 hours before my Wildcats take the floor in Salt Lake, is this: The Pac-12 is 2-1 in the NIT with a convincing win by Arizona State over Detroit, a nail biter (but a win is a win) by Stanford over Stephen F. Austin and a loss by Washington as the Huskies fall by 11 to BYU.

And by the way, Kentucky loses a first-round NIT game to Robert Morris!

What I can ascertain from the above is absolutely nothing!

As for the CBI, Purdue beat Western Illinois, Houston beat Texas and Wyoming, once an undefeated team, back in December, beat Lehigh by one point.

All I know for sure is this: My Arizona Wildcats must defend the ball from the get go today against the Belmont Bruins, a team that lives and dies by the three. I hope it'll be an early funeral for the upset-minded Bruins from Nashville, Tennessee.

There is probably some poor sport's nut, living in Nashville, who woke up this morning and filled out his or her bracket. The Bruins' diehard fan penciled in Belmont in the Final Four. Now there's a dreamer!

 

Can't keep the man off the bases!

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Sixty-three-year old Dennis Crowley hails from Boston, MA. Crowley grew up a Red Sox fan and it is understandable that major league hall of famers Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski were his favorite players. Crowley tries his best to swing a big stick, just like his two baseball heroes.

Crowley now plays for the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) and his on-base percentage year in and year out is the best on the club, a 60-and-over organization which plays baseball three days a week at Tucson Udall Park.

The Boston lefty joined the TOTS in 2010 and has been a thorn in the side for every pitcher in the league. "I just try to get the bat on the ball," said Crowley, following today's game, which was won by his Blue Team, 12-1, over Team White.

Case in point: Crowley went 4 for 4 today and scored four times. He bunted safely his first time up -- dropping a bunt just inside the third base foul line. He then drilled a shot over the head of the center fielder in his second trip to the plate and singled to the opposite field in his last two at bats.

Crowley is quick out of the box and until further notice, or until a "newbee" joins the TOTS who can give him a run for his money, we'll honor "Dennis the Menace" as the fastest TOT on the roster.

Pac 12 needs to earn respect

As we head into the 2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament it's now official -- NO RESPECT for the Pac-12!

The latest AP Poll, released on Monday, has Arizona at No. 21 due to its two-point loss to UCLA in the Pac-12 conference semifinals. And that my friends is the highest ranking the conference can muster.  

UCLA comes in at No. 24 and Oregon, the winner of the Pac-12 tournament, sneaks in at No. 25.

California and Colorado are somewhere off in the distance.

Wildcats lose three-game series to Oregon State

The Arizona baseball team found the going rough this weekend at Hi Corbett Field as they lose a three-games series to the visiting Oregon State Beavers. The Wildcats lost 8-4 today and ended up stranding 22 runners in the three-games series.

Not a good start in the Pac-12 for Andy Lopez and the Wildcats. The Wildcats fall to 15-8 on the season and 0-3 in the conference.

Arizona gains 6th seed for NCAA Tourney

Wildcats to face OVC winner Belmont


Arizona was selected as the sixth seed out of the West Region just moments ago on the CBS Network selection show and will face Belmont in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Salt Lake City.

Gonzaga gets the top seed in the West bracket and Ohio State garners the second seed. New Mexico grabs the third seed and could face our Arizona Wildcats in the third round.

What a matchup that would be!

First things first. Arizona (25-7) needs to dispose of Belmont (26-6), winners of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, and New Mexico needs to get by Harvard. Belmont, a 70-62 winner over Stanford during the first week of the season, beat Murray State this past weekend in the OVC final.

Belmont goes in as the 11th seed, while Harvard (19-9) grabs the 14th seed. The New Mexico Lobos (29-5) won the Mountain West conference tourney with a 63-56 win over UNLV this weekend and are coached by Steve Alford.

Bruins fall!

The Oregon Ducks accomplished what Arizona couldn't. They beat the UCLA Bruins!

Oregon took it to the Bruins tonight in the championship game of the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas and came away with a 78-69 victory. The Ducks (26-8) led by nine at halftime, 41-32, increased the margin to 11 midway through the second half and did not buckle to the Bruins (25-9) down the stretch, thanks mainly to the all around play of Johnathan Loyd and Carlos Emory. Loyd finished with 19 points on an 8 for 14 shooting performance and Emory netted 20.

UCLA coach Ben Howland did pull even in the technical-foul department with Arizona coach Sean Miller, by collecting a  "T" in the first half when he took off his coat and slung it into the crowd. It must have been a bad call! If Miller had done that, he would have been ejecting from the game. Just saying!

The Pac-12 tourney is over and we finally have a champion and now it's on to the big dance. Five outstanding teams will represent the Pac 12 -- Oregon, UCLA, California, Arizona and Colorado.

Now, the fun begins!

Hey, Michael Irving, why the technical foul?

UCLA escapes with a 66-64 win tonight over Arizona in the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.

Someone once said never blame the outcome on a game on the referees, but why I must ask just for the record, "Why, referee Michael Irving did you call a technical foul on Wildcat coach Sean Miller during crunch time?" Two free throws followed to tie the game and ignited the Bruins to a come-from-behind win over Arizona, sending them into the tourney final on Saturday.

With four minutes left in the game and both teams giving their all on the court for 36 minutes,  Mr. Irving decides to run from one end of the court to the other and tack a technical foul on Miller.

As an Arizona fan. I'm fuming. It's bad enough to listen to Bill Walton for 40 minutes, much less witness a referee take a game out of my Wildcats' hands.

Brandon Ashley comes off the bench to lead the Wildcats with 15 points and three boards, while starters Mark Lyons, Solomon Hill and Nick Johnson score 13, 10 and 10, respectively, but Arizona (25-7) falls short of beating the Bruins.

Kaleb Tarczewski grabbed 13 rebounds and scored six points before fouling out late in the game, while   Grant Jerrett came off the bench to score eight points and grab three key rebounds.

Arizona led 30-26 at the end of the first half and led by 11 in the second half before the wheels came off and the Bruins came roaring back. Combine the comeback with the call by Irving, and presto, you have a two-point win for the Bruins.

Enough said.

Take a break, Wildcats. Let's get ready for the NCAA tournament.

'Cats Win, 'Cats Win!

Colorado played well today in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 basketball tournament in Las Vegas. As for the Arizona Wildcats, they played even better and walked off the court with a 79-69 win over the Buffaloes, advancing to tomorrow's semifinals against the tourney's top-seed UCLA (24-8).

The fourth-seeded Wildcats were led my Nick Johnson with 18 points, while Mark Lyons netted 14 and Solomon Hill chipped in 13. The Wildcats received scoring from nine players -- including eight points off the bench from Brandon Ashley and Jordin Mayes and seven from Grant Jerrett.

Arizona dished out 16 assists to just six for the Buffaloes (21-11).

The 18th-ranked Wildcats (25-6) now take on the Bruins, an 80-75 winner earlier today over the Arizona State Sun Devils (21-12).

Way to go, Wildcats! Go get the Bruins!

Wildcats to face Colorado

It's official. The Arizona Wildcats will face Colorado at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in Las Vegas in the second round of the Pac-12 basketball tournament in Las Vegas. Colorado hung on today and beat 12th-seeded Oregon State, 74-68. Ninth-seeded Arizona State also won today in overtime, 89-88, over the 8th-seeded Stanford Cardinal and will face the top-seeded UCLA Bruins tomorrow.

Go get 'em, Wildcats!

Wildcats take two from Butler

The 20th-ranked Arizona baseball team won 14-2 over Butler Tuesday and today matched the same score as they posted another 14-2 victory to win the two-game series at Hi Corbett Field and improve to 15-5 on the season.

With 20 non-conference games in the books, the Wildcats open their Pac-12 conference schedule on Friday with the first of a three-game series with Oregon State.

Brandon Dixon would just as soon see Butler stick around for a few more games. In the two-game series, Dixon went 8 for 10, scored eight runs and drove in seven teammates. Dixon is batting a hefty .466 after 20 games with four doubles, four triples and four home runs to go along with 26 RBI. Dixon has scored a team-high 31 runs.

Tolson powers TOTS' Blue to 10-8 win

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

Sixty-year-old Tim Tolson went 4 for 4 and drove in four runs as TOTS Blue hung on to beat TOTS White 10-8 today in a 60-and-over old-timers game at Udall Park.

Tolson (photo above) singled to right field in the top of seventh to plate two runs as Team Blue went on to score three runs in the inning and take a 10-7 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Team White picked up a run in their final at bat, but with two runners on and two outs, 83-year-old reliever Billy Heiny coaxed Ed Rife, 76, into popping up to shortstop Pigpen Price to end the game.

Price, 67,  hurled the first five innings for Team Blue, but gave way to Heiny, who got through the sixth inning unscathed and allowed just the one run in the seventh to pick up the win in relief. Sixty-two-year old Lloyd Barzell went the distance for Team White, but took the loss.

It was the hottest day of the year with the temperature reaching the low 80s by the end of the game. The weather forecasters predict a 90 degree day on Friday as the TOTS finish up another week of  play.

Zags stay No. 1 in AP Poll, 'Cats stay at No. 18

Gonzaga stays at No. 1 in the latest AP Poll released today and will keep that spot as they roll into the 2013 NCAA Tournament Tournament. The Bulldogs (30-2) play tonight against Saint Mary's in the West Coast conference final in Las Vegas. As for our Arizona Wildcats (24-6), they hold on to No. 18 again this week and head for Las Vegas and their Pac-12 conference tournament opener on Thursday.

Arizona Wildcats take 2 of 3 from Columbia

The Arizona baseball team won the three-game series against Columbia at Hi Corbett Field this weekend  -- winning the opener 4-3 on Friday, dropping Saturday's contest 8-4, before rebounding today with a 7-5 victory to improve its season record to 13-5.

Johnny Field and Zach Gibbons both went 3 for 4 today and Trent Gilbert contributed two hits and three RBI as the Wildcats banged out 13 hits off the Columbia pitching staff.

The Wildcats sent three pitchers -- Cody Moffett, Tyger Talley and Mathew Troupe -- to the mound today as the trio threw three innings apiece with Troupe picking up the win in relief to improve his record to 2-0.

Arizona has a two-games series scheduled at Hi Corbett Field with Butler on Tuesday at 6  p.m. and Wednesday at 1 p.m. as the Wildcats continue their 18-game home stand.

Wildcats beat ASU, gain first-round bye in Pac-12 Tourney

The Arizona Wildcats rolled over the Arizona State Sun Devils today at McKale Center (see above photo). Nick Johnson scored 17 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists as the Wildcats gained a first-round bye for next week's Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas with a 73-58 win over the Sun Devils. Senior Solomon Hill netted 12 points and senior Kevin Parrom chipped in 13 as the Wildcats improved their overall record to 24-6, the best overall won-loss record in the conference. Arizona finishes 12-6 in conference play, one game back of UCLA. The Bruins (23-8) beat Washington today and win the Pac-12 title with a 13-5 record.

Arizona led at the end of the first half 40-25 and led by as many as 23 in the second half. The Sun Devils closed the gap to five points midway through the second half, but the Wildcats continued to apply the defensive pressure and went on to beat the Sun Devils for the second time this season.

And now it's on to Las Vegas and the Pac-12 Tournament.

Go, Wildcats!

Cavaleri's on the court antics will be missed

I enjoyed Patrick Finley's article on the front page of the Arizona Daily Star this morning about Wildcat superfan Joe Cavaleri. The "Ooh Aah Man" has walked to center court countless times since 1979 and for 34 years has ignited the Arizona crowd with his antics -- rallying the 14,000 plus at McKale Center and putting them into the right state of mind, allowing them to turn up the volume, so to speak, adding  support to our Arizona Wildcats' basketball team.

Say it ain't so, Joe!

Do we really have to say goodbye?

Cavaleri is retiring from his "game-day commitments" due to health reasons, which includes Parkinson's disease.  The disease has slowed down the Ooh Aah Man, but we, the Arizona fans, can rest assured he'll still be on hand, sitting in the crowd, cheering on his Wildcats, for years to come.

Once a Wildcat superfan, alway a superfan!

And so it goes with the rest of us diehard Wildcat fans.

I was 34 years old when I first saw Cavaleri do his thing at McKale. He was just a youngster at 27. Together we have lived the life of a Wildcat fan, along with many, many others. From the opening tip to the final buzzer we have all been on the edge of our seat, cheering on our favorite basketball team.

Being an Arizona Wildcat fan is an honor. Just ask the Ooh Aah Man, who knows that for a fact, up close and personal, right from center court.

For a moment in time, today,  the crowd at McKale will stand and honor him.

Today's game will be full of emotion, after all the Arizona State Sun Devils are in town and the Wildcat seniors will be playing their final game at McKale.

Cavaleri's moment will follow with a round of applause, and a tear or two as well.

Wildcats split with Texas Tech

The Arizona baseball team split the two-game set with Texas Tech, winning on Tuesday 6-2 and losing today 5-2. The split leaves the Wildcats with an 11-4 record as they head into a three-game series with the Columbia Lions (0-4) at Hi Corbett Field on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

After 15 games, Brandon Dixon leads the Wildcats with a .442 average. Dixon is 23 for 52 with three doubles, two triples and a home run. The junior infielder from Murrieta, California,  has scored 20 times this season and has knocked in 17 runs.

Team Blue powers its way to a 10-6 win

TOTS Senior Baseball Network

60-and-over baseball

Team Blue powered its way to a win over Team White today at Udall Park in a Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball game.  Bob Daliege, 64, led Team Blue's hitting attack with three hits, a run scored, and five RBI.

Team White's starting pitcher, 76-year-old Ed Rife is well known in the league as a crafty hurler, moving the ball inside and outside with an occasional knuckle ball to keep the batters off guard. But today, helped out by some untimely errors, the middle of the Team Blue lineup had little trouble picking up pitches to their liking as hard hit balls were belted by Tim Tolson, Lloyd Barzell, Bob Stofft, Pete Peters, Chico Bigham and Daliege, as they turned a 5-2 deficit into a 10-6 win.

The big blow came off the bat of Daliege. With the bases loaded in the fifth, Daliege slashed a Rife fastball to the opposite field. The ball landed just inside the first base chalk line and spun away from the right fielder Joe Aparicio. Three runs scored on the play and Daliege ended up at third base with a big smile on his face.

Today, Team Blue had the upper hand.

Photos:  Top photo, Team White right hander Ed Rife, 76, hurls an offering toward the plate in a TOTS game today at Udall Park. Bottom photo: Speedster Dennis Crowley, 63, playing for Team White today, prepares to slash a pitch to left field. The catcher is Pete Peters, 63. The umpire is 63-year-old Chuck Sabalos, a member of the TOTS and a former Pima County Superior Court judge.

60-and-over Aces roll over Rattlers

TOTS Senior Baseball Network (TSBN)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Aces rolled over the Rattlers this morning at Udall Park 14-5 in a senior league baseball game. The Aces scattered 20 hits around the confines of Udall with 66-year-old right fielder Jim Sears providing a big part of the attack with a 3 for 4 day while scoring two runs and knocking in two more.

Arnie White (above photo), a 71-year old right-hander, allowed just two runs in the first six innings. White struck out two and walked four, but did run into a little trouble in the seventh inning when 71-year-old Tom Barrow, with the bases loaded, slapped a shot just inside the first baseline, clearing the bases.

"It was a good day," said Aces' manager Jerry Hamelin. "We hit well and played good defense."

White helped his own cause with a three-hit day, while Tony Contreras, Pete Peters, Lloyd Barzell, Tim Tolson, Pete Cerenzia, and Pigpen Price collected two hits apiece.

Bob Daliege and Dennis Crowley added to the Aces' attack with hard-hit singles, while great defensive plays were turned in by Crowley (on a running catch in center field), by 83-year-old Billy Heiny, who was the middle man at second base on a double play to squash a rally by the Rattlers, by Barzell, who made a shoestring catch on a hard-hit line drive in the hole at shortstop and by Price, who made a diving stop at third base and threw out the runner at first.

Arizona falls 7 spots to No. 18 in AP Poll

The Arizona Wildcats (23-6) fall to No.18 in the AP Poll this week. That's a seven spot drop from last week as the two losses last week took its toll on the Wildcats. We do have a new number one, and for the first time the spot belongs to a team from the Western part of the country -- the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Gonzaga (29-2) reaches the top spot for the first time in school history after sailing through the West Coast Conference with a perfect 16-0 record. Gonzaga's only two losses were to Illinois and Butler.

As far as the Pac-12 goes, UCLA (22-7) still can't break into the top 20 despite its win over then 11th-ranked Arizona on Saturday. The Bruins are at No. 23, while Oregon (23-6) sneaks in as No. 19.

Wildcats need to close out at home with a win over ASU

The Arizona Wildcats return to McKale Center Saturday and close out the regular season against the Arizona State Sun Devils. With back-to-back losses on the road at USC and UCLA, the Wildcats now face a must win to garner the fourth seed in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament. The top four teams receive byes in the first round and a loss at home to ASU on Saturday would add more salt to the wound -- a wound which needs to heal quickly if the 'Cats are going to get back in the race -- the race being the NCAA Tournament.

A few weeks ago the Wildcats were clinging to the hopes of a No. 2 or a No. 3 seed at the "big dance". A month ago there was even talk about Arizona receiving a No. 1 seed out West! That's all gone now as the Wildcats are stuck on 23 wins and now have six losses -- all to Pac-12 teams.

A loss to ASU and a loss in the Pac-12 Tournament would continue the slide and the Wildcats could find themselves with a double-digit seed as far as March Madness goes.

The good news: The Wildcats will participate in March Madness. The bad news: The 'Cats are struggling to put a "W" on the board.

Once again, Wildcats are set to play in front of a national audience

Once again, the Arizona Wildcats are set to play in front of a national audience. It's "College Game Day" today on ESPN and much of the talk -- say from 9 A.M. -- will be all the pre-game hype regarding the Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins. Come 7 p.m. the talking will subside and the two teams will go at it on the court at Pauley Pavilion -- in front of a sold-out crowd.

There will, of course, be a few boisterous Arizona fans in the audience, but they will be hard to find in the arena as the locals will dominate the cheering from the get-go.

When the final buzzer sounds, the Bruins will have their 22nd win of the year or the Wildcats will have their 24th. At last look, the Wildcats still own the best overall record in the Pac-12 at 23-5 and the Bruins are at 21-7. Oregon, the Pac-12 Conference leader, owns the second-best record at 23-6.

Of course, what matters at this writing is the conference standings. The Ducks (12-4) own a slight lead over the Bruins (11-4), while the Wildcats (11-5) are fighting for third place, along with the California Golden Bears (11-5).

When the Pac-12 games are in the books come late Sunday night, there could be some shuffling at the top of the standings.

What matters now is results!

Here's hoping our Wildcats can get it done tonight.

TOTS' duo played baseball for the Arizona Wildcats in the early 1950s

Two members of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club played for the Arizona Wildcats back in the early 1950s. Brad Tolson, 83, and Dick McAnally, 80, played for the 'Cats more than 60 years ago. Tolson played at Tucson High School and went on to become a top relief pitcher for the Wildcats, while McAnally played his high school ball in Casa Grande, Arizona, before joining the Wildcats and becoming a teammate of Tolson in 1953.

The TOTS have been around since 1968 and records show that Tolson and McAnally are the only two ballplayers to have played for the TOTS and the University of Arizona.

McAnally (bottom photo), who played under the direction of Frank Sancet,  was a catcher at the UofA and was a member of a battery which included the great Wildcat pitcher Donnie Lee.

Tolson (top photo) played for Pop McKale and Sancet and at one time held the Wildcat record for the most consecutive scoreless innings. Brad's father, Andy, was a four-year letterman and an outstanding pitcher at the UofA in the 1920s.

When Brad Tolson was busy recording strikeouts for the UofA in the early 1950s, I was just a young kid in elementary school. I grew up in Tucson and one of my wishes was someday to play baseball for the University of Arizona.

It never happened. But I'm honored to play with a couple of "good old boys" that did.