Wildcats off to an 8-0-start

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The 2017 Arizona Wildcats are 8-0.

I know it's early. A lot of non-conference games and a tough Pac-12 race ahead.

But the Wildcats swept four games at Hi Corbett from a visiting Eastern Kentucky team and then did the same with McNeese State during the month of February. Not household names, but still a "good" result to start the season.

We now head into March with away games at the Frisco Classic in Frisco, Texas (against Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska) and a single game in Lubbock against Texas Tech.

The top four players off to a great start at the plate for the Wildcats are Nick Quintana (15 for 30, a .500 batting average), Mitchell Morimoto (15 for 32, a .469 average), Jared Oliva (16 for 35, a .457 average) and JJ Matijevic (15 for 34, a .441 average). Oliva leads the team in homers with two and tops the chart in RBI with 31.

Great start! Keep it going, Wildcats!

Arizona drops to No. 7 in AP College Basketball Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The Arizona Wildcats (26-4) dropped to No. 7 in the Associated Press College Basketball Poll today, while UCLA (26-3) jumped to No. 3. Kansas (26-3) moves up to No.1 and Villanova (27-3) is ranked No. 2.

Gonzaga (29-1) lost to BYU last Saturday and dropped to No. 4, North Carolina 25-5) moved up to No. 5, while Oregon (26-4) settles in at No. 6. Louisville (23-6), Kentucky (24-5) and West Virginia (23-6) round out the top 10.

Not too shabby for the Pac-12 Conference with three teams in the top-10 at 3-6-7 as the 2017 regular season winds down to its final week.

Way to go, Wildcats!  Let's take care of ASU in Tempe on Saturday and add three more wins in the conference tournament in Las Vegas.

30-4!

I'd love to see those numbers!

Pigpen gets a win!

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Team Blue's Pigpen Price, 71, struck out three and walked five en route to a 10-5 win over Team White today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Pigpen has more than one nickname with the TOTS' organization. When he pitches, Pigpen is often referred to as "The Wild Thing." Now, actor Charlie Sheen had some issues on the mound many years ago in the 1989 American sports comedy film, Major League, when he played the part of the Cleveland Indians' relief pitcher Ricky "The Wild Thing" Vaughn.

Scenes from the movie were filmed at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson.

It's been told that Sheen even took steroids to prepare for the movie and some say his fastball hit 85 mph, but where the ball was going after he released the pitch was the question!

Pigpen has some of the same character flaws. Except for the fact, he's now in his 70s and doesn't need  a drug to get his fastball flowing at 45 mph.

Today, Price had the benefit of a "good" defense behind him. As for Team White, Jesse Ochoa started, and a handful of errors later, found himself down by a score of 5-0. He turned the ball over in the second inning to reliever Doc Thompson, who pitched the rest of the way, allowing -- to his dismay -- another five unearned runs.

"There were a lot of errors today," Thompson said, after the game. Thompson did his part as he hurled the final six innings and while at the plate was a perfect 3 for 3 with two runs batted in.

Danny Lundwall, Team Blue's leadoff batter, had a good day at the plate for the winning team, grabbing three hits in four trips to the plate.

As for Mr. Sheen, he's still around and is still in Hollywood, still performing. He'll turn 52 in September, while the first Major League movie celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2014. The fantasy owner of the Cleveland Indians in the movie, Rachel Phelps, was played by actress Margaret Whitton, who sadly passed away in December of 2016 at the age of 67.

As for Pigpen and the TOTS, most of them were in their 30s, 40s and 50s when Major League hit the silver screen. Actor James Gammon, best known for his portrayal of manager Lou Brown in the film, is also no longer with us. Gammon passed away in 2010 at the age of 70.

There's a rumor another sequel is in the works for Major League. As for the TOTS, they'll continue to play at Udall Park every Monday, Wednesday and Friday...and it's free. You don't need to go to Netflix and we have our own characters and comedians.

Photos:(top)  Charlie Sheen, (middle) Doc Thompson, (bottom) Pigpen Price

UCLA Bruins grab 19 second chance points in 77-72 win over Arizona

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


UCLA grabbed 19 second chance points at McKale Center tonight en route to a 77-72 win over the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona falls to 26-4 and 15-2 in Pac-12 play, while the Bruins improve to 26-3 overall and 13-3 in the conference.

Allonzo Trier scored a career-high 28 points and just maybe the ball should have been in his hands during the final seconds of the game. Instead it was Kadeem Allen who took the last shot for the Wildcats and threw up an air ball.

Kobi Simmons quickly fouled Bryce Alford, who calmly sank two free throws at the other end of the court to seal the five-point win.

Trier made 11 of 14 field goal attempts -- including 3 of 6 three-pointers. He had the hot hand all night, but the game was lost long before that as the Wildcats were out rebounded 35-28 and the Bruins' 3-2 defense gave Arizona fits in the second half.

Arizona shot 51 percent from the field, but made just 5 of 18 long-range shots -- three of those shots came from Trier. Parker Jackson-Cartwright scored 11 points and Lauri Markkanen finished with 10 points, but missed all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Next up: The regular season finale against ASU in Tempe on Saturday.

Too many duck snorts in TOTS game

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

A duck snort, a dying quail or a blooper are all words used to describe a hit in a baseball game.

Today at Udall Park, Team White took advantage of plenty of the above as they rolled to a 12-5 win over Team Blue. A dozen balls fell into no man's land and frustrated Team Blue and their starting pitcher Pete Maldonado.

In fact, Maldonado had a feeling about today's game. It was like a premonition. "It's those bloopers that kill me," Maldonado said, before the game.

Three plays in the bottom of the first inning signaled what was to come for Maldonado. Three infield hits, one after another, started the inning -- all three "slow rollers" (another baseball term) led to three runs and eventually a 4-1 advantage for Team White.

Dick Ducklow, no pun intended, had the most "duck snorts" today as he went 4 for 4 and drove in four runs. Arnie White went the distance for Team White and picked up the pitching victory, while Maldonado, of course, was saddled with the loss.

The TOTS will be in action at Udall on Monday. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photo: Pete Maldonado, who had a case of the "bloopers" today at Udall Park.

Trier scores a season-high 25; Wildcats beat USC, 90-77

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats  (26-3, 15-1) can now focus on the No. 5 UCLA Bruins.

The Wildcats, behind a season-high 25 points from Allonzo Trier,  beat USC 90-77 at McKale Center tonight to maintain their one game lead in the Pac-12 Conference.

The Trojans led early, but the Wildcats clawed their way back and held a 44-39 lead at the half. In the second half Trier scored 14 of his 25 points and five Wildcats finished in double figures. Rawle Alkins netted 12 points, Lauri Markkanen chipped in 11, while Dusan Ristic and Parker Jackson-Cartwright added 10 points apiece.

Arizona closed the first half on a 12-2 run and led by 16 points at one point in the second half. The Wildcats made 11 of 20 3-pointers -- four of them long-range shots by Trier.

The Trojans are now in the Wildcats' rear view mirror. Up ahead it's No. 5 UCLA on Saturday night at McKale. The entire college basketball world will be watching.

It's time for the Wildcats to shine.

Team White edges Team Blue 7-5 in TOTS' game

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Lefty John Mathews, 60, and right-hander Pigpen Price, 71, were locked in a pitching duel at Udall Park this morning -- at least until the bottom of the fifth inning.

It was at that point when things begin to unravel for Price. Two walks, a couple of errors and a couple of key hits and Price went from a 2-1 lead to trailing 6-2 as Team White plated five runs and sent Price to the showers (well, to the dugout anyway, there are no showers at Udall).

The big hit in the fifth came from Danny Boxberger, 66, who timed one of Price's fastballs and sent the ball up the middle. The ball got by two outfielders and went all the the way to the fence, allowing two of the five runs to score.

Team Blue's leadoff man, Brian Reilly, tried his best to keep his team in the game with three hits in four trips to the plate. Unfortunately, for 65-year-old Reilly and Team Blue, his last at bat turned out to be a ground out to second base in the seventh inning and Team White survived a hard-fought game, 7-5.

Mathews went the distance to pick up his first pitching victory of the year. While Price fell to 2-3 and needed relief in the bottom of the fifth and sixth inning from 66-year-old right-hander Pete Maldonado.

Still, a competitive oldtimers' game, which once again went down to the wire. Team White scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, while Team Blue plated three runs in the seventh and had the tying run at the plate with two outs.

The catch of the day: a running catch by Team Blue's 83-year-old Joe Aparicio, who made a back-handed stab in left field on a hard hit ball off the bat of 78-year-old Bob Stofft.

The old-timers will be back in action on Friday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Arizona ranked No. 4 in AP College Basketball Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona is ranked No. 4 in this week's AP College Basketball Poll, UCLA is fifth and Oregon is in the sixth spot.

Gonzaga, Villanova an Kansas are the top three.

Way to go, Arizona! And hats off to the Pac-12 Conference.

Of course, that means on Saturday it'll be No. 4 against No. 5 at the McKale Center.

Kadeem Allen should be back this week and Dusan Ristic as well.

First up, USC on Thursday. Come on, Wildcats! The Pac-12 title is in your hands with a win over the Trojans, the Bruins...and a victory the following week in Tempe over the Sun Devils.

Three wins from a Pac-12 title and a No. 2 seed in the West for the NCAA Tournament.

Things are getting very interesting.

Team Blue survives a wild 7th-inning at Udall

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-an-over baseball

Yogi Berra used to say, "it ain't over till it's over."

That's especially true when it comes to a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) game at Udall Park. Case in point: Today's game, a 9-8 win by Team Blue over Team White.

With the score deadlocked at 4-4, Team White took the field. The top of the seventh inning started out  innocent enough when fleet-footed Brian Reilly legged out an infield hit. Team White's shortstop Tim Boyd made a nice play on Reilly's grounder, but the throw to first base...was, as they say in the baseball world, "a tie goes to the runner."

Somewhere in the baseball rule book the tie goes to the runner rule is explained. Unfortunately, most of the Tucson Old Timers are not wearing their reading glasses, so calling time out to check the book would be fruitless, but the rule is there -- rule 7 or rule 8, or somewhere in between.

In any case, Reilly was aboard and he started a five-run rally as Team Blue plated five runs and took a 9-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. But as Yogi would say, "it ain't over till the fat lady sings."  Whoops! That's one phrase Mr. Berra didn't initiate. That saying has something to do with the Opera, although no one knows for sure who the fat lady is.

Chances are she's not at Udall Park on a Monday, Wednesday or a Friday and chances are Yogi is in Heaven, looking down on the TOTS and smiling. So, we'll go with Yogi.

At any rate, Team Blue and their relief pitcher Dan Lundwall were pleased they owned a five-run lead, but before you could spell Yogi's name, Y-O-G-I, the bases were loaded and Joe "the Big O" Opocensky stepped to the plate and proceeded to drill a shot to center field for a three-run double and two outs later, Jesse "The Sweeper" Ochoa singled in a fourth run.

With the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate in the person of Jerry "The Yankee Clipper" Hamelin, things were now getting interesting. Lundwall fired a fastball over the plate, Hamelin swung and hit a two-hopper to third baseman Pigpen Price, who threw to first baseman Dave Byars for the final out of the game.

The Fat Lady was nowhere to be found. Yogi had left the bleachers in Heaven and was on his way to have a cold one with some of his former Yankee teammates. As for the TOTS, they packed up their gear at Udall and headed home, another game in the books for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers.

The TOTS will be back in action on Wednesday. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photos: 1) Yogi Berra 2) Today's winning pitcher at Udall, Dan Lundwall.

Markkanen scores 26 as Wildcats beat the Huskies

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


With two starters on the bench, Arizona turned to Lauri Markkanen to lead the way tonight in Seattle as 5th-ranked Arizona holds off the Washington Huskies, 76-68.

Markkanen made 9 of 17 from the field and finished the game with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Allonzo Trier made 6 of 10 from the field -- including 4 of 5 3-pointers -- for 21 points.

With Dusan Ristic and Kadeem Allen on the bench with injuries, Chance Comanche filled the void with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright hit 3 of 5 from long range and finished with 11 points and four assists.

Arizona and Washington battled to a 42-42 tie at halftime. Markkanen scored 18 points and hauled in eight rebounds in the first half.

Arizona improves to 25-3 and 14-1 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Wildcats head home and take on USC on Thursday and UCLA on Saturday.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Baby Bull Barzell returns to the playing field

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Lloyd "Baby Bull" Barzell, 66, joined the Tucson Old Timers in 2010, and by his own admission he has a stubborn streak. So when the doctors told him back in December that he needed double-bypass surgery, of course, he went through "the no way stage".

But eventually he listened to the doctors and he actually walked to the hospital and checked in for the surgery. The surgery occurred on Dec. 13, 2016.

Fast forward to Feb. 17, 2017, and Barzell is back on the field. Wearing a chest protector, just in case he gets a hard one hit to him, Barzell played his first game today at Udall Park -- just 66 days since his bypass surgery.

Barzell, who hails from Bronx, New York, is a tough cookie, a real battler on and off the field of play.   So, it was understandable, by his teammates at least, that he wasn't going to let a little thing like heart surgery get in his way of playing baseball.

Lloyd went 1 for 2 today. He walked the first time up and played for Team Blue, who lost to Team White, 12-6. Tim Tolson led Team White with three hits in four trips to the plate, while Doc Thompson was the top hitter for Team Blue with a 2 for 2 day and a walk. Pigpen Price pitched all seven innings for Team Blue and was saddled with the loss, while Arnie "The Montana Kid" White picked up the win.

As for Barzell, he finds the chest protector a bit cumbersome and chances are it won't be long before he discards the apparatus. Barzell, who led the TOTS in hits in 2015 and 2016,  now has his first hit in 2017. "I feel okay," he said, after today's game. "My ankle is a little sore from not running, but I'm happy to be back on the field and playing with the guys."

Barzell, a pitcher and a shortstop, is taking it slow and played an outfield position today. Chances are it'll be a while before he finds his way back to the mound or to an infield position.

Way to go, Lloyd. Glad to have you back.

Photo: Lloyd Barzell

PGC, Markkanen leads Wildcats to easy win over the Cougars

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Lauri Markkanen is back...and so is Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

PGC started tonight in Pullman, Washington, in place of the injured Kadeem Allen and responded with a career-high 20 points and Markkanen returned to form with 19 points and 11 rebounds as 5th-ranked Arizona beats Washington State 78-59 to improve to 24-3 on the season and 13-1 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Rawle Alkins also scored in double figures with 13, while three players -- Allonzo Trier, Chance Comanche and Kobi Simmons tallied eight points apiece.  Trier, had an off night offensively with a 3 for 13 shooting performance, but led the Wildcats with a game-high 12 rebounds.

Arizona shot 45.2 percent from the field (28 of 62) and canned 10 of 18 three-pointers. The Wildcats also out rebounded the Cougars, 42-27.

And now it's on to Seattle on Saturday to face the Washington Huskies.

Opocensky, Price leads Team White to 11-6 win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Joe Opocensky went 3 for 3 and scored three times, while teammate Pigpen Price knocked in five runs with a 2 for 3 day as Team White beat Team Blue's hard-throwing Reed Palmer 11-6 today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Palmer, at 6-6, looks like Bill Walton on the mound (but less vocal) and it's tough getting around on his fastball, but today Team White had his number, despite the windy conditions.

With wind gusts up to 20 mph, it was a pitching duel between Palmer, from Seattle, Washington, and 6-foot, two inch George Staas, from Knoxville, Tennessee. In the end, Staas gets the win and Palmer is saddled with the loss.

Danny Boxberger had three hits for Team Blue in a losing cause.

The TOTS will be back in action on Friday at Udall. Game time: 10:00 a.m.

Photo:  Pigpen Price, drove in five runs in Team White's 11-6 win today at Udall Park.

Arizona 5th, UCLA 6th and Oregon 7th in AP College Basketball Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats reached No. 5 in this week's AP College Basketball Poll, while UCLA takes over the sixth spot and Oregon is ranked seventh.

Gonzaga is still the No. 1 team in the land, followed by Villanova, Kansas and Baylor. Louisville, West Virgina and North Carolina round out this week's top ten.

Tolson's 2-run double lifts Team Blue to TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

It was a battle of lefties during the late innings of a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) game today at Udall Park as Team Blue edges Team White, 8-7.

With the the score tied 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning, lefty Joe "Big O"  Opocensky drilled a shot to the fence in right field for a triple and scored on a ground out by Ron Carlson to give Team White a 7-6 lead.

The lead didn't last long.

In the top of the seventh, lefty Thunder Tim Tolson doubled to right field, knocking in two runs and putting Team Blue back on top for good. With Team White's right fielder Joe Aparicio positioned on the edge of the warning track, Tolson gave flight to a high Texas Leaguer. Before Aparicio could corral the ball, Tolson had motored into second and the winning runs had easily crossed the plate.

Tim Boyd pitched six innings for Team Blue and picked up the win, while Doc Thompson hurled the seventh inning to grab the save. Team White reliever Dan Lundwall, who pitched the last two innings for Team White, was saddled with the loss.

The TOTS will be back in action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photos:  (top) Joe "Big O" Opocensky, (bottom) Thunder Tim Tolson

Simmons leads Wildcats to 62-57 win over Cal

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Kobi Simmons scored 13 points to lead 9th-ranked Arizona to a 62-57 win tonight over California at the McKale Center.

Arizona improves to 23-3 and 12-1 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Dusan Ristic finished with 12 points and Kadeem Allen scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists. Laura Markkanen struggled and finished with six points, while Allonzo Trier scored just three points.

Arizona heads north next week to take on Washington State on Thursday and Washington on Saturday.

Ducklow goes 4 for 4, drives in 2 runs in TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Dick Ducklow, 75, spends the winter months in Tucson and the summer months in Spring Valley, Wisconsin. While in Tucson, Dick plays baseball with the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers.

Ducklow, a right-handed hitter who joined the TOTS in 2009, has been known over the years as a pull hitter, but recently he's been hitting the ball to center field and to right field.

Today at Udall Park, Ducklow went 4 for 4 and drove in two runs to lead Team Blue to a 14-13 win over Team White. "My knees are bothering me, but I had a pretty good day," said Ducklow, who needed a pinch runner in his final at bat today.

Doc Thompson, from Roland, Iowa, led Team White with a perfect 3 for 3 day at the plate, a walk and four runs batted in. Thompson, at age 74 and  a member of the TOTS since 2006, had knee surgery over a year ago, but is running...and hitting better than he has in years.

Team White trailed at one point, 13-1, but battled back during the middle innings to pull within four runs and then scored three more times in the bottom of the seventh, before Team Blue closed the game out on a force out at second base.

It turned out to be a slugfest, but Team Blue's starter, Pigpen Price, picked up the win, despite needing  help in the fifth inning from reliever Reed Palmer. Team White's Arnie White started and was saddled with the loss, while Thompson hurled the final three innings and allowed only one unearned run.

Photo: Dick Ducklow

Trier leads Wildcats to 74-67 win over Stanford

Arizona Wildcats Basketball



It wasn't an easy one at Mckale Center tonight.

In fact, it was a downright struggle as Arizona (22-3, 11-1) holds off the Stanford Cardinal, 74-67.

Arizona couldn't put the game away into the final minute of play as Allonzo Trier, in his first start of the season, finished with 22 points -- including 12 of 12 from the free throw line and hauled in a team-high seven rebounds. On a night when Lauri Markkanen and Dusan Ristic struggled at both ends of the court, it was Trier's performance and the inside play off the bench from Chance Comanche, who scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Rawle Alkins was the only other player in double figures with 12 points, while Kobi Simmons chipped in nine points. Arizona made 25 of 29 free throws, while Stanford, currently the 8th place team in the Pac-12 Conference, went to the foul line 12 times and made nine of them.

Arizona wins it and rebounds from its loss last week to Oregon, but the Wildcats are far from hitting on all cylinders. Next up: the California Golden Bears (18-6, 9-3), who won 68-43 in Tempe tonight against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

It doesn't get any easier.

Mathews knocks in 5 runs in TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Once upon a time -- say 43 years ago  -- John Mathews hit the baseball to the gaps in left-center and right-center field at Flowing Wells High School. Of course, he was a hard-hitting senior in the starting lineup for the Caballeros back then.

Fast forward to 2017 and we find the 60-year-old Mathews still spraying the ball to the gaps -- only now he plays for the Tucson Old Timers, an amateur baseball club which plays three days a week at Udall Park.

Today, the former Caballero went 3 for 4 and drove in five runs as Team White beat Team Blue 7-1.

"I had a good day," said Mathews, who bats from the right side.

The TOTS have had an influx of 60-year-old players join the club in 2016. Mathews, who stands 6-4, is not the tallest rookie to become a TOT in recent months. The tallest is 6 feet-6 inch Reed Palmer, a hard-hitting lefty who hit five home runs in 2016 and has hit the only round-tripper so far in 2017.

As for Mathews, he collected his first home run back in August of 2016. With the left field fence only 300 feet away, it won't be long before he hits another.

The TOTS will be back in action on Friday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Photo: John Mathews

Arizona falls to No. 9 in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The loss in Eugene, Oregon, hurt in more ways than one for the Arizona Wildcats.

Arizona (21-3) falls to No. 9 this week in the Associated Press College Basketball Poll. Gonzaga (24-0) stays at No. 1, while Oregon (21-3) jumps to No. 5 and UCLA (21-3) edges into the 10th spot.

Time for the Wildcats to regroup and take care of business at home this week against Stanford and California. Oregon has the tough schedule at UCLA and USC this week.

RBI-single by Byars leads to a 5-3 win in TOTS' game

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Rookie David Byars broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI-single down the left field line and Team Blue went on to beat Team White 5-3 at Udall Park today in 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) game.

Team Blue added an insurance run and held the 5-3 advantage the rest of the way, thanks to the pitching of right-hander Bob Daliege and three key plays down the stretch by his teammates.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Team Blue centerfielder Bob Stofft caught a towering fly ball off the bat of Team White's power hitter Reed Palmer,  Team Blue's third baseman Pigpen Price made a diving catch at third on a line shot off the bat of Doc Thompson and Miguel Urtaza tracked down a high fly ball off the bat of hard-hitting lefty Joe Opocensky.

In the bottom of the seventh, Team White went quietly 1-2-3 and Daliege picked up the win. "My defense made me look good today," Daliege said.

Daliege has a lot to smile about the last 48 hours. Today, he goes the distance on the mound and picks up a nice win. On Saturday, his wife, Nancy,  recorded a hole-in-one on the 144-yard, second hole at the Rolling Hills Golf Course.

"I think she used a 7-iron," the proud husband said. "It's been a great week."

As for Byars, the newest member of the TOTS, he said he was glad to contribute. "It feels good to get a key hit."

Daliege, Byars and the rest of the TOTS will be back in action on Wednesday at Udall. Game time 10 a.m.

Photo: David Byars, who hit an RBI-single to left field today in the sixth inning to put Team Blue ahead for good, en route to a 5-3 win.

The Greatest Super Bowl Ever Played -- February 5, 2017

Super Bowl LI


The greatest Super Bowl ever played occurred tonight in Houston.

Of course, that's my opinion and the above statement is open for discussion.

Tonight,  New England quarterback Tom Brady, his team down 28-3 with a little over two minutes left in the third quarter, engineers the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history as the Patriots score 31 unanswered points and beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime to capture the Super Bowl LI title.

Unbelievable! Stunning!

There are no words to describe what happened at NRG Stadium in Houston tonight.

I mean Lady Gaga was great, but what occurred on the field of play was insane.

Brady throws for 466 yards and two touchdowns, completing 43 of 62 passes, to lead the Patriots to their fifth Super Bowl victory and the first ever to be decided in overtime in 51 years.

Hats of to Brady and the Patriots!

Wildcats a no show in Eugene

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


There was a shootout in Eugene, Oregon, today and one team forgot to bring their guns.

The 13th-ranked Oregon Ducks (21-3, 10-1) threw down 16 three-pointers and crushed the 5th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (21-3, 10-1), 85-58.

Arizona didn't bring any weapons along for this one. The Wildcats scored just 18 points in the first half and were completely out manned as Oregon knocked home 10 of 13 from three-point land and led 38-18 at the half.

The only consolation for the Wildcats: No. 2 Baylor lost today as did No. 3  Kansas.

And the season is long from over.

Rawle Alkins led the Wildcats today with 16 points and six rebounds.

Team Blue edges Team White, 10-9

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Reed Palmer, 60, is known for his towering home runs at Udall Park. At 6-feet-6 inches, Palmer has knocked in many a game-winner in his first full year as a member of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers.

Today at Udall, it was a pinpoint throw by Palmer from shallow centerfield to home plate which made the difference and preserved a 10-9 victory for Team Blue.

Team Blue took the field in the bottom of the seventh inning with a 10-5 lead, but Team White scored four runs to pull within one run and hard-hitting Bob Daliege stepped to the plate with two outs and the tying run on second base.

Daliege drilled a shot up the middle and the base runner at second, Danny Lundwall, headed for third and got the green light to continue to the plate. Newcomer Ray Garcia threw to Palmer, who was positioned just inside the outfield grass. Palmer caught the ball from Garcia and unleashed a rope -- a one hopper to his catcher, Chuck Sabalos, who caught the ball just a split second before Lundwall crossed the alternate plate for the final out of the game.

In 60-and-over baseball, there's two plates -- one, the normal home plate, and an alternate plate for the runners. If the throw to the catcher at the traditional home plate beats the runner at the alternate plate, the runner is out. It's a safety issue for the old-timers and over the years, there's been some dandy plays made, many of them deciding the outcome of the game.

Today was a perfect example. A walk-off win for Team Blue, thanks to the "golden arm" of Palmer.

Ron Carlson went 2 for 3 and drove in three runs for Team White today, while Brian Reilly went 3 for 4 for Team Blue. Jesse Ochoa, Pigpen Price and Sabalos collected two hits apiece for Team Blue.

The TOTS will be back in action on Monday at Udall. Game time: 10 a.m.

Arizona comes alive in 2nd half to down Beavers, 71-54

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Arizona shook off a poor shooting first half, put the clamps on the Oregon State Beavers in the second half, and rolled to a 71-54 win tonight in Corvallis, Oregon. The Wildcats improve to 21-2 overall and 10-0 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Allonzo Trier led the 5th-ranked Wildcats with 18 points on a night when 7-foot freshman Lauri Markkanen scored just eight points, while big man Dusan Ristic turned out to be the only other Wildcat in double figures with 10.

Arizona shot a shade over 34 percent from the field in the first half and went to the locker room down 29-27. The Wildcats went on a 10-0 run to start the second half and at the midway point had outscored the Beavers 23-2 and held a 55-36 lead.

The Wildcats take on 13th-ranked Oregon on Saturday.

Tucson Aces fall 8-5 to Arizona Rattlers

60-and-over Tucson Aces

The Tucson Aces couldn't get the key hit when they needed it at Udall Park this morning and lost 8-5 to the visiting Arizona Rattlers.

The Aces found themselves down 4-0 in the first inning, battled back to tie the game at 5-5 in the sixth, but couldn't keep the Rattlers from scoring in the top of the seventh as they plated three runs to win the first meeting of the year between the two teams.

Tim Boyd and Peter Peters collected three hits apiece to lead the Aces. Pete Maldonado pitched all seven innings for the Aces and was saddled with the loss.

Photos: (top) Pete Peters, (bottom) Tim Boyd

Reilly, Palmer top hitters in January for TOTS

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The rain played havoc with the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) during the month of January.  In fact, the TOTS played just five games. Brian Reilly and Reed Palmer made the most out of their at bats. Reilly went 9 for 14, scored a club-high 10 runs and batted .643 in five games, while Palmer went 10 for 16, a .643 average. He also scored nine runs and knocked in a club-high nine RBI -- including a triple and the only home run hit in January.

Other top hitters for the month included Bob Daliege ( 5 for 8 in four games, a 625 batting average), Chuck Sabalos ( 6 for 11, a .545 average), Dan Lundwall (7 for 14, a .500 average), Doc Thompson (5 for 11, a .455 average) and Tim Tolson (6 for 16, a .375 average).

As for the TOTS' pitchers, Arnie White, Bobby Daliege, Pigpen Price and Pete Maldonado posted wins during the month. One game ended up in a tie.

The TOTS are hopeful for getting more games in the books during the month of February. So far, the weather has been good. The TOTS played their first game of the month today in 70 degree weather and more of the same is expected on Friday. Game time at Udall Park is 9 a.m.

Ochoa knocks in 4 runs in Team Blue's 10-8 win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Jesse Ochoa had two key hits and knocked in four runs as Team Blue edged Team White 10-8 today at Udall Park.

Ron Petersen pitched the first four innings for Team Blue and picked up the win, while Ochoa came on in relief in the fifth and pitched three innings.

Tim Tolson, Bob Daliege and rookie David Byars went 3 for 4 for Team White. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Team White tried to pull out a win as the first two runners reached base, but Ochoa got out of the jam with a double play and then a pop up to short to end the game.

Pigpen Price pitched all seven innings for Team White and was saddled with the loss.

The TOTS will be back in action on Friday at Udall Park. Game time 9 a.m.

Photo: Jesse Ochoa