Arizona Wildcats swept again!

Arizona Wildcats Baseball



The Arizona Wildcats are on a downward spiral and need to stop the bleeding.

Arizona loses all three games at Palo Alto.

The Cardinal winning 3-2, 4-3 and 3-1.

That's six straight Pac-12 losses.

Not pretty as Arizona falls to 27-15 overall and 9-12 in the conference.

JJ Matijevec was about the only bright spot for the Wildcats, going 4 for 12 with two RBI and a home run.

The Wildcats play a non-conference game Monday at Santa Clara and then return home for a three-game series at Hi Corbett against the Washington Huskies.

My new book, The Dancer, released today at Amazon/kindle

My new book, The Dancer, released today at amazon.com/kindle

Go to the Amazon site and plug in The Dancer, by Dan Price

That's all there is to it.

The book cover...

or...click on my author page below on Amazon



https://www.amazon.com/Dan-Price/e/B001KHFCMI

My blog bookemdanosports has updates at the site as well

Happy reading!

Chico is back!

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Chico is back!


Chico Bigham, 78,  has pitched for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers for 18 years. Bigham has grabbed the game ball, walked to the mound and toed the rubber for the TOTS since 1999.

The last few years Chico has suffered through his share of shoulder problems. The last time he took the mound in a TOTS game was back in September of 2016.

Well, folks! Like most TOTS, he's recovered and today Chico came on in relief for Team White in the fourth inning at Udall Park and proceeded to strike out the first two batters and coaxed the next batter into a ground out. Chico sailed through the fifth, the sixth and the top of the seventh, allowing Team Blue only one run -- and that was an unearned run.

Team White had trailed 5-0 after three innings, but with Bigham recording goose eggs on the scoreboard, Team White battled back and headed into the bottom of the seventh trailing by only one run, 6-5.

With one out, things got interesting when Team Blue's pitcher, Bob Daliege, nailed Pigpen Price in the back with a curve ball that didn't break. A walk and a hit by Tim Tolson loaded the bases and it looked like Bigham had a shot at a win in relief.

Up stepped Team White's Chuck Sabalos.

Strictly a pull hitter, Sabalos hit a shot foul down the third base line and took the next offering from Daliege high and inside. The next pitch was right down the middle and Sabalos connected -- unfortunately, it was a one hopper back to the mound.

Daliege gloved the ball and threw home for the second out of the inning and catcher Dennis Crowley threw to first base to complete the double play. Daliege took in a deep breath, walked off the mound and ends up with the hard-earned win, while Team Blue ends up on the short end of the scoreboard.

The good news is the TOTS will all be back in action on Monday at Udall. Game time: 9 a.m.

Photos: (top) The man himself, Chico "rubber arm" Bigham; (bottom) a disheartened Chuck Sabalos, after hitting into a double play today to end the game.

Arizona rolls past New Mexico State, heads for Stanford

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats (27-12, 9-9) took their frustration out on New Mexico State Tuesday night as they rolled to an easy 11-2 win.

And now it's back to business.

The Wildcats open up a three-game Pac-12 series on Thursday in Palo Alto against Stanford, still stinging a little from Utah's sweep last week at Hi Corbett.

JJ Matijevic still leads the Wildcats in hitting with a .406 average. Matijevic has 65 hits on the year and six home runs with a slugging percentage of .656 -- including 44 RBI and 105 total bases.

Let's go, Wildcats!

Turn out the lights, too much glow for Team White

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Back in the day when Howard Cosell and Don Meredith traded jabs in the NFL announcer's booth, it was always Dandy Don who would bellow out the words, "turn out the lights the party's over" when the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.

Howard and Don are no longer with us, but the popular phrase is still around and today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over game one team, Team White, wished the lights were off, not on.

Park workers turned the lights on during the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) game this morning, and if nothing else the "light switch" seemed to favor Team Blue as they crushed Team White, 15-0.

It was time for bulb replacement as the workers checked out the lights to see which ones needed to be replaced. After all, the little leaguers are just weeks away from another season of night baseball.

In reality, it wasn't the lights that caused the damage. Instead, it was 61-year-old lefty John Mathews, who threw just enough knuckleballs to confuse the Team White hitters. "I threw maybe 15   knuckelballs," said a smiling Mathews, after the game. "I had a lot of run support and that made it easier."

It seemed like the Team White hitters had little trouble dropping in key hits, while Team Blue seemed to be blinded by the light as Mathews and his assortment of knuckleballs cruised to a shutout win.

Tim Tolson, Chico Bigham and Mathews supplied all the hitting punch Team White would need in this encounter as the trio combined for 10 RBI.

Turn out the lights, the party was over today for Team Blue, but there's always a next game for the TOTS. The old timers regroup at Udall on Friday. Game time 9 a.m. Maybe next game both teams will see the light and it'll be a battle to the end.

Photos: Dandy Don as we remember him and today's winning pitcher for the TOTS, John Mathews.

Pete and RePete fall short

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The battery combination for Team Blue today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over game: Pete and RePete -- right-hander Pete Maldonado and catcher Pete Peters.

It started off good for Pete's sake, a 4-2 lead for Team Blue after three innings and stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Team White plated five runs and went on to win the game, 7-4.

A couple of players named Tim tried to make a difference for their respective teams -- Tim Boyd went 2 for 3, scored two runs and knocked in two runs for the winning team, while Tim Tolson banged out two hits, knocked in two runs and walked once for Team Blue.

Lloyd Barzell went the distance for Team White and picked up the pitching victory, while Maldonado was saddled with the loss.

Over the years in major league baseball Pete and RePete has undoubtedly been a battery combination at one time or another, but the most famous of the Pete and RePete was probably the photo-ops taken  during the years when Pete Rose hustled around the bases, while his son hung out in the dugout.

In fact, in June of 2016, Pete Rose Sr. was honored by being inducted into the Cincinnati Hall of Fame and his son Pete Rose Jr. was on hand at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati to throw out the first pitch.

The TOTS have their own Pete and RePete  -- with Pistol Pete Peters, 68, behind the plate calling signals and the crafty veteran on the mound 65-year-old Pete Maldonado.

Chances are we'll have a repeat of the oldtimers' battery for years to come.

Photos: 1) an old back and white photo of Pete Rose Sr. and Pete Rose Jr. 2) our own Pete Peters and 3) our own Pete Maldonado.

Wildcats take a break from Pac-12 play on Tuesday

Arizona Wildcats Baseball



The Arizona Wildcats will take a break from Pac-12 play on Tuesday night at Hi Corbett Field.

They need the break.

Arizona (26-12, 9-9) are coming off the short end of a sweep -- three wins by the visiting Utah Utes on Thursday, Friday and last night in the finale by a 4-2 score.

The Wildcats had lost only one game at home going into the series with Utah -- and if my math is correct (when you get older you'll understand the if) that's four losses inside the friendly confines of Hi Corbett.

Time to regroup. The Wildcats take on visiting New Mexico State on Tuesday, After that, it's off to Stanford and back to the grind of the Pac-12.

JJ Matijevic continues to lead the Wildcats in hitting with a .401 average, including 63 hits and 43 RBI.

TOTS annual luncheon a huge success

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers hold their annual luncheon and awards ceremony every spring.

And every year it gets better and better.

This year's luncheon rates among the best ever.

Close to fifty members, along with their spouses, relatives and friends gathered at noon today at Vivace restaurant on north Campbell. They were all treated to a fabulous lunch and were honored with a guest speaker, well-known around the Tucson sports circles -- Tom Sanderson, a former University of Arizona baseball player and currently a very successful Sports Physical Therapist.

One of his clients just happens to be our own Floyd Lance, 91, the oldest TOT to ever don a uniform and play for the organization, which will proudly celebrate its 50th year in 2018.

So the members on hand at the luncheon, along with the guests in attendance, were all ears as Mr. Sanderson gave an up close and personal look into his profession.

Everyone who has anything to do with the old baseball club understands full well that all the members of the TOTS can use a physical therapist.

One of the largest cheers from the audience came when Sanderson told the story of Floyd's Tucson Old Timers jersey. "I have one of Floyd's jerseys in my office," he said. "Number 89."

Of course, Floyd wore the jersey two years ago and it's a well-known fact that he changes his jersey every year to coincide with his age.

There were plenty of awards handed out also. The club's co-managers Pete Peters and Jesse Ochoa presented awards to Bob Stofft and Arnie White (Hall of Fame Award); Brian Reilly and Miguel Urtaza (Sportsmanship Award); Denny Leonard and Denny Heath (Century Award); Billy Heiny (Ironman Award) and, last but not least, the TOT of the Year Award was presented to Mal Zwolinski.

Special thanks went out to all the TOTS committee members: manager Pete Peters, Co-manager Jesse Ochoa, secretary Dan Lundwall, treasurer Bob Daliege, historian Danny Price and members Lloyd Barzell, Dennis Crowley and Delon Thompson.

And of course, there was plenty of talk on the back patio of the Vivace restaurant  -- with the noon day sun beating down and a comfortable breeze floating through the air -- about BASEBALL - OLD-TIME BASEBALL!

On page three of the luncheon program was a phrase which sums up what the TOTS are all about. The author, unknown -- "We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing."

Photos: 1) TOTS manager Pete Peters (2 thru 4) sports therapist Tom Sanderson at the podium and receiving and wearing his new TOTS hat (5) Floyd Lance saying a few nice words about his physical therapist (6) Mal Zwolinski receiving the TOT of the Year Award (7) Billy Heiny receiving the Ironman Award (8) Denny Leonard and (9) Denny Heath receiving their Century Award (10) Bob Stofft and Arnie White (11) receiving their Hall of Fame Award (12) Brian Reilly and (13) Miguel Urtaza receiving their Sportsmanship Award.

Photos by Jesse Ochoa

TOTS' pitching tandem goes 2-0 for the month

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

For the second time this month the pitching tandem of starter Pigpen Price and reliever John Mathews got the job done.

Pitching for Team White, the two hurlers allowed just four runs -- only two earned -- en route to a 8-4 win today over Team Blue. Jesse Ochoa went 3 for 3 and drove in three runs and leadoff batter Roger Beebe went 3 for 4 for Team White, while Lloyd Barzell cranked out three hits for Team Blue.

Team White was helped out by a triple play in the fourth inning as Jerry Smarik hit a one-hopper to third for a unassisted 5, to 4, to 3 for the score book.

Triple plays are rare, even with the 60-and-over TOTS.

"Everything was aligned right with the stars," Mathews said, jokingly. Mathews was on the mound when the triple play occurred and he hurled three more scoreless innings, after the rare defensive play.

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

Taylor Radtke on a roll at Desert Christian

Tucson Old Timers

60-and-over baseball


From the Kids Corner

Art Radtke, a long-time member of  the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers, is all smiles this month, elated at the play of his granddaughter, Taylor Radtke, who plays softball for Desert Christian High School.

And well he should be.

My goodness, Taylor, after nine games, is off to an amazing start with a slugging percentage of 1.166,  that is 19 hits in 24 at bats -- including six RBI and a home run!

Way to go, Taylor!

Photos: Taylor sliding in to home and the smiling grandpa, Art Radtke.

Wildcats take down the Ducks

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats (26-9, 9-6) take 2 of 3 from the Oregon Ducks at Hi Corbett Field -- including a 18-4 win in Game 3 today. The Wildcats banged out 23 hits and paid the Ducks back for beating them in Game 1 Thursday night -- the Wildcats first loss on their home field this season.

Today, Alfonso Rivas led the hit parade, going 5 for 5, while JJ Matijevic continued his hot streak with four more hits to raise his batting average to .418, the top average in the Pac-12 Conference. Rivas is just behind Matijevic at .415.

The Wildcats, after 35 games, own a .331 team batting average.

Next up: a three-game series at Hi Corbett against Utah on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Arizona is 19-1 at home.

Go, Wildcats!

The Judge puts the hammer down

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Chuck Sabalos, a retired judge, didn't use a gavel, instead he put the hammer down on the Team Blue hitters today en route to a 8-4 win for Team White in a 60-and-over baseball game at Udall Park.

Sabalos, who normally sets up shop behind the plate for the TOTS, took the mound this morning and pitched a complete seven-inning game. Chuck, one of two TOTS' catchers who can wing the ball on a straight line from behind home plate all the way to the second base bag, found the pitching mound to his liking today.

"I felt pretty good until the seventh inning," said Sabalos, who loaded the bases in the top of the seventh but got out of a jam, thanks to a two-out lazy fly ball to left field to end the game. "I was ready for Lloyd (Barzell, Team White's reliever) to come in."

Way to go, Chucky! You should pitch more often. Who knows? The next time the decision may go your way again.

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

Rasing Cain, Diamondbacks lose

Arizona Diamondbacks


Matt Cain is back and he helped the Giants take the three-game series in San Francisco over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cain (1-0) pitched five innings and got the win last night, 6-2.

Arizona falls to 7-3 and loses their first series of the year. Jake Lamb went 3 for 3 for the Diamondbacks and Shelby Miller (1-1) took the loss.

And now it's on to LA and a showdown with the Dodgers.

Mathews does it all in TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

John Mathews went 3 for 3,  drove in four runs and was called upon to take the mound and get the last two outs as Team Blue beat Team White 10-8 today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Mathews, led a 11-hit attack by Team Blue and then he toed the rubber with one out in the bottom of the seventh, relieving Danny "Wild Thing" Price, and shutdown a Team White rally to grab the save.

Team White, down 10-2 with one out in the seventh, took advantage of some sudden wildness from Price and scored four runs to close the gap to 10-6. Mathews allowed two runs before closing the door on Team White.

Price earned his first win of the month, while Lloyd Barzell and Reed Palmer shared pitching duties for the losing team. Pete Peters led Team White with three hits in four trips to the plate.

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

Arizona Wildcats beat GCU, 7-3

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


Arizona beat GCU in Phoenix yesterday 7-3 to improve to 24-8 on the season.

JJ Matijevic continued his torrid hitting with four hits in five trips to the plate.

Next up: Oregon at Hi Corbett.

Arizona improves to 7-2 with win over Giants

Arizona Diamondbacks


Don't look now, but the Arizona Diamondbacks currently own the best record in baseball.

Arizona held on to beat the Giants 4-3 in San Francisco last night to improve to 7-2.

The win evened the three-game series with the Giants and the getaway game is tonight at 7:15pm as the Diamondbacks send Shelby Miller to the mound.

Robbie Ray allowed just four hits and pitched into the seventh inning last night and is 1-0 on the season. Jake Lamb provided the big blow with a three-run triple in the third inning. Fernando Rodney held on despite wind, rain and seagulls in the ninth inning to pick up his third save of the year.

Diamondbacks fall to 6-2

Arizona Diamondbacks


After winning 6 of 7 at home to start the season -- including a three-game sweep last weekend over the Cleveland Indians, the Arizona Diamondbacks traveled to San Francisco today and didn't fare as well.

In fact, the Diamondbacks kicked the ball around a bit and lost 4-1 to the Giants and dropped to 6-2 on the young season.

Yasmany Tomas homered for the Diamondbacks' lone run.

Arizona plays two more games in San Francisco, before heading for LA and a four-game series with the Dodgers on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Go, Diamondbacks!

Wildcats to face GCU, take 2 of 3 from Washington State

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


The Arizona Wildcats will travel to Grand Canyon University Tuesday night for a 7 pm matchup with the Antelopes.

The Wildcats, who won 2 of 3 Pac 12 games last week from the Washington State Cougars to improve to 7-5 in conference play and up their overall record to 23-8.

JJ Matijevic continues to be the "beast" at the plate for the Wildcats, leading the team in hits (51), doubles (20), home runs (6) and is tied with Jared Oliva for the most RBI with 38.

The Wildcats own a .328 team batting average after 31 games.

Arizona, after their one stop in Phoenix to play Grand Canyon, will return home and continue Pac-12 Conference play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday against Oregon. The Wildcats are a perfect 17-0 at Hi Corbett.

The first two games with the Ducks will start at 7:00 p.m. and the final game on Saturday is slated for a 12:00 pm start.

Maldonado takes a shutout into 6th inning

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Pete Maldonado hurled shutout ball into the sixth inning and then hung on down the stretch for a 3-2 win as Team Blue edged Team White today in a 60-and-over baseball game at Udall Park.

Team White plated two runs in the sixth and failed to mount a rally in the seventh inning. Mike Steele went 3 for 4 for Team White, while Joe Opocensky went 2 for 3 and drove in two runs for the winning team.

Bob Daliege pitched well for Team White, completing six innings of work, but was saddled with the loss.

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

Photos: (top) Pete Maldonado, today's winning pitcher for Team Blue; (bottom) Mike Steele banged out three hits in a losing cause for Team White.

Sergio wins The Masters

The Masters

Augusta, Georgia


Sergio Garcia finally got it done.

It took him 74 tries, but Garcia finally won a major -- and it was a BIG one.

Garcia birdied the first playoff hole to beat Justin Rose and capture the 81st Masters and the crowd around the par-4 18th hole at Augusta National roared their approval.

Both Rose and Garcia carded 3-under-par 69s on the final day and finished 9-under, setting up the dramatic finish.

The end of a long journey for the 37-year-old Garcia. The final stop: Augusta. At least for now.

Rose, Garcia the leaders at the end of Day 3 at The Masters

The Masters


Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia are tied for the lead at the end of Day 3 at The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

Rose fires a 5-under-par 67 and Garcia cards a 2-under-par 70 and will be in the final pairing on Sunday. Rickie Fowler is just one stroke back.

Should be a great Day 4 at The Masters!

Four-way logjam at The Masters

The Masters


Charley Hoffman, the leader after Day 1, carded a 3-over-par 75 today at The Masters and is now in a logjam with Sergio Garcia, Thomas Pieters and Rickie Fowler -- all with a 36-hole total of 140.

It's been 44 years since four players have tied for the lead at The Masters, after two days of competition.

Fowler carded the best round today with a 5-under-par 67.

If the glove fits keep it forever

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Just about every member of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers love their baseball gloves...their favorite mitt -- the one with the soft pocket, the one with a history behind it. Some oil their gloves regularly, some even stick their mitt into the oven for 30 seconds, whatever it takes to soften the leather.

Some of the players keep their mitt for years, others like to keep up with the times and purchase the newest Rawlings or Wilson at the local sporting goods store every year.

And some of the old timers who play for the TOTS hang on to their mitts forever.

Take 85-year-old Jerry Smarik for example.

Jerry is the third oldest TOT. He hails from Detroit, Michigan. He's married to his wife, Sharon. They celebrate 60 years of marriage in May. They've had quite the journey together. They've raised six children -- all grown up and away from home, raising their own children and making their own way through life.

Jerry loves to talk about his family, his days in the Navy, his many years as a U.S. Postman, delivering mail in Tucson for more than 30 years. Some days his memory just isn't there. "It comes and goes," he says.

What he does remember is baseball. He's been with the TOTS for over 25 years. He has over 1,400 hits and over 4,000 at bats and has the record well in hand for playing the most career games. His teammates call him the "iron man" -- a TOT since 1991.

And like most of his teammates, Smarik has his share of baseball equipment and paraphernalia, dating back to the early 1930s.  One of his most cherished pieces of baseball equipment is an old catcher's mitt -- a gift from his father in 1947.

The mitt is still in the family. In fact, Jerry brought it to the ball park today. "All my kids used this mitt," Jerry said, after the game this morning at Udall Park (see above photos of Jerry and his mitt).

Jerry proudly showed off the old leather glove.

He put his left hand in his mitt. It fit perfectly.

Just like Jerry's life has been.

Congrats to the Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks


Congrats to the Arizona Diamondbacks for winning their four-game series over San Francisco at Chase Field this week -- including a 9-3 thumping in the series' finale tonight to take 3 of the 4 games.

Great way to start the 2017 season. Tonight, home runs by David Peralta, Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb highlighted the win. Peralta and Goldschmidt hit back-to-back solo shots in the fourth inning and Lamb's blast was a three-run shot in the sixth.

Next up: The Cleveland Indians.

Hoffman the early leader at The Masters

The Masters


Charley Hoffman found the back nine to his liking at Augusta National today and fired seven birdies to jump out to a four shot lead at The Masters. Hoffman carded a 65, while the runner-up on Day 1 was William McGirt with an opening-round of 69.

The shock of the day: Dustin Johnson withdraws from the tournament due to a back injury.

Aces take it on the chin, lose to Old Pueblo 14-7

60-and-over Tucson Aces

Aces at Santa Rita vs. Old Pueblo


Tim Tolson and Jesse Ochoa were a combined 4 for 6 today at Santa Rita Park, but it wasn't near enough hits as the Old Pueblo Club led 10-0 early and cruised to a 14-7 win.

Old Pueblo may have had a couple of players under the age of 60. In fact, one player shook hands after the game and called some of the Aces' players, "Sir!"

Still, the Aces battled back and actually outscored Old Pueblo 7-4 down the stretch, but it was the lack of scoring in the early innings as Old Pueblo's starting pitcher Chris Carino kept the Aces' batters off balance with a mixture of pitches.

Carino gets the win and Aces' right-hander Pete Maldonado is saddled with the loss.

The Aces will meet up again with Old Pueblo next month and next time they'll have the home field advantage at Udall Park.

"Have an eye at the plate, Miguel!"

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

During the middle innings of a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) game at Udall Park today, the teammates of Miguel Urtaza yelled out."Miguel, have an eye at the plate. Wait for a good pitch."

In an old timers' game sometimes things don't always work out the way you want it to.

Miguel, 74, waited for a good pitch down the middle from Team Blue's 71-year-old pitcher, Danny "Wild Thing" Price.  Urtaza, now in his second year with the TOTS,  focused -- both eyes on the ball -- just like his teammates had wanted him to do.

The pitch was on its way. A fastball right down the middle. Miguel swung and just got a piece of it. Unfortunately, the ball bounced in the dirt, just off to the left side of the plate, and caromed its way upward, square into Miguel's right cheekbone and just below his right eye.

Down he went. The players gathered around, but within seconds Miguel was on his feet and back in the batter's box. Miguel eventually grounded out to end the inning.

And the beat goes on for Miguel and the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers.

"I'm okay," Miguel said, as he walked back to the dugout, as if to say, "those things happen, it's just part of the game."

Miguel finished the game as did the players on Team White and Team Blue.

Another slugfest. This time Team White, Miguel's team, prevailed, coming away with an 18-11 win over Team Blue. Bob Daliege, who pitched another complete game for Team White, had a lot of run support in this one as Reed Palmer hit a three-run homer over the right field fence -- his third of the year, while Jesse Ochoa enjoyed another great day at the plate with a 4 for 5 day and four runs batted in.

Palmer finished the game with six RBI. A tough out, to say the least, according to Price, who went the distance for Team Blue and was saddled with the loss.

"It's hard to get the ball by him," Price said, after the game. "He's a tall, lefty with so much power."

Team Blue could never dig themselves out of the hole, especially after Palmer's blast in the second inning. "I guess I threw him the pitch he was looking for," Price said. "We're getting used to his hits leaving the ball park."

The old-timers, like Miguel Urtaza, will forget who won or lost the game and will be back on Friday to play baseball again.

The players will keep an eye out for Miguel. He may have a nice shiner to show off.

Note: A shiner: Better known as a "black eye".

Photo: Miguel Urtaza

Wildcats improve to 17-0 at Hi Corbett

Arizona Wildcats baseball


With 4,644 fans looking on, the Arizona Wildcats (21-7) improve to 17-0 at Hi Corbett Field last night as they roll over Arizona State 11-2. JJ Matijevic homers twice and Cal Stevenson hits his first grand slam as a Wildcat.

Way to go, Arizona!

And now it's off to Washington State for a three-game Pac-12 series with the Cougars on Friday, Saturday and Sunday..

North Carolina wins NCAA Basketball Championship

NCAA Men's Basketball Final


North Carolina survives a foul-plagued 40 minutes and beat Gonzaga 71-65 tonight in Glendale to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.

To be fair, 44 fouls were called -- 22 against the Zags and 22 against the Tar Heels.

It wasn't a pretty finale, but North Carolina closed out Gonzaga down the stretch. The Zags scored just 30 points in the final 20 minutes, shooting 33.9 percent from the field (20 for 59) for the entire game.

The Tar Heels finished with a 9-2 run and walks away with their sixth national championship.

Tolson is at it again!

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball


Thunder Tim Tolson can hit!

What else is new!

Tolson is one of the most consistent power hitters on the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers. He proved it again during the month of March. He played in 13 games and led the TOTS in hits (29), runs (21), doubles (12),  home runs (2), RBI (31) and a hefty batting average of .604.

That takes care of most of the hitting categories.

Pigpen Price was a distant second in hits for the month of March with 24, while Lloyd Barzell was one back at 23. Jesse Ochoa was fourth in hits with 20.

Reed Palmer played in 10 of the 14 games in March and made the most of his at bats. He went 17 for 27 for a .630 batting average. He also finished third in RBI with 15, while Ochoa grabbed the second spot with 18 runs-batted-in.

On the mound, it was Bob Daliege and Pete Maldonado with the most wins for the month. Daliege was 4-0 and Maldonado went 4-2.

Beebe leads TOTS to a 13-4 win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Roger Beebe hails from Tombstone, Arizona. He played high school baseball for the Yellow Jackets a long time ago.

Today, Beebe plays for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) and this morning at Udall Park he went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs -- including two triples.

All of his friends, even the ones dating back to his high school days, all call him by his last name. "It's kinda funny," Roger said. "I've always been called Beebe. In high school my brother and I were known as the Beeben brothers. My brother was a pitcher and I was the catcher."

Now, he plays the outfield and catches for the TOTS and his hitting today propelled Team White to an easy 13-4 win.

Lloyd Barzell went the distance for Team White and picked up the win, while Brian Reilly and Pigpen Price shared pitching duties for Team Blue.

There was one scary moment in today's game and it wasn't because of the lopsided score of the game. Instead, Price relieved Reilly in the sixth inning and suddenly one of his fastballs turned into a comebacker of all comebackers. Barzell laced the pitch back to the mound and Price had a split second to react.

Luckily the ball found its way into the pocket of Price's mitt. "My goodness," Price said, after the inning was over. "I could've lost a few teeth on that one."

Only one run scored in the inning and Price literally dodged a bullet.

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

Wildcats sweep USC, improve to 16-0 at home

Arizona Wildcats Baseball


Home, sweet home!


Arizona stays at Hi Corbett Field for a non-conference game against Arizona State on Tuesday.

That's a good thing for the Wildcats. Arizona won all three games against USC last week at Hi Corbett to improve to 16-0 at home and 20-7 overall. The Wildcats improved to 5-4 in Pac-12 play with the sweep of the Trojans and Tuesday's encounter with their in-state rival will not bolster their conference record.

The game counts -- it always counts when the Wildcats play the Sun Devils. But this one is only for the score book and for bragging rights in the state of Arizona.

Arizona drew 11,599 fans for the three-game series with USC.

Way to go, Wildcat fans!

North Carolina, Gonzaga reach NCAA title game

NCAA Final Four

Glendale, Arizona

Site: University of Phoenix Stadium


Oregon falls 77-76 to North Carolina in Glendale tonight and Gonzaga advances along with the Tar Heels to the NCAA final on Monday with a 77-73 win earlier today over South Carolina.

Oregon was a man short during the entire tournament. They needed the rebounding of the injured Chris Boucher, especially during the final moments as the Tar Heels missed some crucial free throws only to grab the rebound out of the outstretched arms of Oregon's defenders.

The star player for Oregon, Dillon Brooks, scores just 10 points tonight, hitting 2 of 11 from the field and 0 for 3 from beyond the arc.

As for the Pac-12 Conference: a 10-4 showing in the NCAA Tournament.