Arizona
Arizona baseball picked to finish 2nd in Big 12 in debut season
After winning the final Pac-12 regular season and conference tournament titles last year, Arizona is headed for a new challenge this spring with the move to the Big 12. And its recent reputation is coming along as well.
The Wildcats have been picked to finish second in the Big 12 by the league’s coaches, earning four first-place votes. The last time the UA was picked this high in a preseason conference poll was 2021, when Pac-12 coaches had it finishing second and it won the league outright en route to the College World Series.
The Big 12 also released its preseason all-conference team on Thursday, with juniors Brendan Summerhill and Mason White making the list. It’s the second preseason all-conference selection for White, who was on the final Pac-12 team last year.
The UA, ranked 21st by D1Baseball.com in its preseason poll, is coming off a 2024 season in which it swept the Pac-12 titles and hosted an NCAA regional. The bulk of that team returns, with Summerhill and White among eight projected returning starters.
Oklahoma State was picked to win the conference, getting nine first-place votes, with third-place TCU getting the remaining vote for first.
OSU and TCU both come to Hi Corbett Field this season, but before that the Wildcats will face a stacked nonconference schedule that includes games against both teams that played for the College World Series title. Defending champion Tennessee and runner-up Texas A&M are two of Arizona’s opponents at the Astros Foundation Baseball Classic in Houston Feb. 28-March 2, where it also plays Mississippi State, while Feb. 14-16 in Frisco, Texas, the Wildcats will face Clemson, Louisville and Ole Miss.
Arizona’s first home game is Feb. 18 against New Mexico, but prior to that it will host a Meet the Team event Feb. 8 at Hi Corbett. The intrasquad scrimmage begins at 2 p.m., with an autograph session to follow.
Arizona
Person accused of making terroristic threats to medical facility in northern Arizona
PAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — A person accused of making terroristic threats toward a northern Arizona medical facility was arrested Friday morning.
Just after 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a person calling the facility and threatening to kill staff and Native Americans, according to the Page Police Department.
Authorities said staff placed the facility on lockdown until officers identified the suspect and arrested them outside their home.
The suspect was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threatening and intimidating, and making terroristic threats. Police have not publicly identified the person.
“The Page Police Department is grateful for and supports the medical staff’s decision to put the medical facility into lockdown until the suspect was arrested and the situation was rendered safe,” the department said in a Facebook post.
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Arizona
NFL mock draft: 4-round projections for Arizona Cardinals
In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Arizona
Detroit Lions NFL Draft Injury Report: Arizona State CB Keith Abney
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
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