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PHXFan is the leading sports blog for Arizona High School and College sports. It is the next generation of SportZine Magazine, which hit high school campuses throughout the Valley in 2003. More About PHXFan...
Arizona Sports (AZCentral)
Baseball Archive
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NCAA sanctions cast long shadow over Tempe, Tucson
It’s probably time for an update on the latest new ASU v. UofA rivalry… NCAA sanctions. Arizona State has just admitted two major recruiting violations in its baseball program and announced the self-imposed sanctions and corrective actions that are being taken. The school submitted its response to NCAA allegations on Monday. Meanwhile, University of Arizona [...] -
ASU-UA baseball… today’s game offers a mirror image
Tonight’s ASU v. UofA baseball game may be the most evenly-matched contest since the first game was played between the two rivals back in 1907. The Sun Devils enter the game ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches Top 25 and the Wildcats are ranked No. 17, having moved up four places after a [...] -
ASU baseball, softball makin’ history… but not all good
There’s a first time for everything. That’s especially true in sports. And this past weekend was full of first-time opportunities for the Arizona State baseball and softball programs. Some good, some not so good. The ‘good’ included the softball team’s sweep of No. 5 UCLA at Westwood, the first time in the program’s history that [...] -
ASU’s Mike Leake skips the minors to get pro debut
Major League Baseball’s experiment with another Arizona State player has panned out. Mike Leake debuted today with the Cincinnati Reds in a game against the Chicago Cubs. But he took a shortcut few others have. The 22-year-old right-hander became just the 21st player since the draft began in 1965 to get a major league start [...] -
UA baseball team finds the secret to winning on the road
Whew! The Wildcats baseball team is breathing easier today after getting their first road win of the season. The Cats beat Washington in Seattle yesterday, 7-2, for the series opener. The win was important, not just because it came on the road, but because it also broke a four-game losing streak. And last week’s series [...] -
ASU baseball has two of the nation’s best in its dugout
One of Tim Esmay’s biggest gifts this year came in a little package. And it does a little bit of everything. The first-year head baseball coach at Arizona State inherited a 5’8″ second baseman when he took over the program this year. That player, Zack MacPhee was just selected as the ‘best player’ among D-I [...] -
Recruits lining up as former ASU player coaches & wins
Tim Esmay was an ASU baseball player before he was the school’s head coach. That helps with local recruiting. But it’s winning that brings in the bigger fish in the deeper water. And the fishing doesn’t get any easier than it is right now. Since the Sun Devils got off to their record-setting start this [...] -
A wild, high-scoring finale to the Coach Bob Invitational
The score in this tournament championship game looked more like one you’d see on a basketball scoreboard, not at a baseball game. Thirty-nine high school baseball teams from nine states showed up for the Coach Bob National Invitational. And when the dust cleared, two local teams were left standing to play for the championship. And, [...] -
ASU baseball packs the house as it sets best-start record
There’s nothing like winning to put fannies in the stadium seats. Throw in the drama of a drive to break a 49-year-old record, and you have a full house. Arizona State drew a sell-out crowd for each of the three baseball games against California this weekend. There hasn’t been a sell-out at the 4,371-seat Packard [...] -
Softball or baseball? Some AZ colleges are good at both
Hey, let’s have a little love for the little guys. Or maybe just give them some ink. When you’re hittin’ and pitchin’ in the same market as highly successful baseball and softball programs like those at Arizona State and University of Arizona, it’s not easy to get much notice. Even when you’re putting two good [...]
