Arizona
Arizona softball notebook: On Allie Skaggs’ new swing, a softer schedule, Janelle Meoño’s recovery
Arizona softball is headed down the stretch with hopes of attending to a thirty fifth straight NCAA match. The following cease is Salt Lake Metropolis the place the Wildcats will face the Utah Utes (21-20, 4-8).
The 2 groups will begin their sequence Friday at 4 p.m. MST/PDT with the sport airing on Pac-12 Arizona and Pac-12 Mountain. What are some keys to success for the Wildcats because the common season begins to wind down?
The schedule lightens up
The Pac-12 did Arizona no favors with the early-season schedule. The Wildcats have now performed 5 league sequence. Each opponent has been ranked sooner or later this season. The Utes would be the first crew on the schedule that has not been ranked.
Successful the subsequent three sequence—an inventory that features not solely the Utes but additionally Colorado and Stanford—is just not solely doable it’s required if the Wildcats hope to proceed their postseason streak.
Arizona is presently ranked No. 37 in RPI. Stanford is No. 33, Utah is available in at No. 44, and California sits at No. 47. A superb run in opposition to the opposite three provides Arizona a preventing probability.
The Wildcats even have an opportunity to maneuver up within the convention standings. Arizona presently sits final with a 4-11 document. Utah sits simply above at 4-8 and Oregon is in tenth with a 5-10 document. The Geese have but to play UCLA and ASU.
Allie Skaggs revisits her swing
Sophomore Allie Skaggs patrols second base and is without doubt one of the finest hitters within the convention. Skaggs sits simply behind teammate Carlie Scupin within the Pac-12 dwelling run race. Scupin is second within the league with 15 and Skaggs is tied for third with 14.
It’s not simply in regards to the energy, both. Skaggs additionally has the most effective batting averages on the crew. Her .375 common is second on the Wildcats’ roster to leadoff hitter Jasmine Perezchica. That’s ok for fifteenth within the Pac-12.
She believes it’s due to the work she’s executed on her swing.
“I’ve been engaged on letting go of my different hand and I lastly did that immediately and I assume it labored nice,” Skaggs stated after the Wildcats’ doubleheader.
It actually labored out in that sport. Skaggs tied a program document with three dwelling runs.
“I watch loads of swings,” Skaggs stated. “I watched MLB. I’ll watch a ton of another school softball. I see nice hitters that do it, like Shar. She’s getting ahold of a bunch. She’s doing the identical factor. So I’m like, ‘You recognize what, possibly I’ll attempt it. I don’t know, it may work.’ I roll over quite a bit. Okay, so let’s attempt to let go and see if that helps. And immediately it felt nice. I felt comfy. Simply watching loads of swings. I like learning swings. I feel that’s my favourite.”
Janelle Meoño is enhancing
Janelle Meoño has been out since Arizona’s Mar. 9 sport in opposition to North Dakota. A stress fracture in her foot had the sophomore in a boot for over six weeks. The boot is gone. Meoño wore a lighter brace on her decrease leg at Tuesday’s doubleheader and gave the impression to be strolling usually.
“She is working into completely different observe situations,” stated head coach Caitlin Lowe. “So, we’ll see…the way it goes, and we’ll simply sort of consider her week-to-week.”
Arizona
Deadspin | Arizona rolls past No. 25 Baylor for 7th straight win
Henri Veesaar’s 19 points led a balanced scoring effort to lead Arizona to its seventh straight win, 81-70 over No. 25 Baylor on Tuesday night in Tucson, Ariz.
Arizona (11-5, 5-0 Big 12) took advantage of short-handed Baylor (11-5, 3-2) for most of the game, building a 27-point lead in the second half.
The Bears battled back, making eight consecutive made field goals to cut the lead to 71-62 with 2:52 left, but they did not get closer.
Baylor, which cracked the AP Top 25 on Monday after winning six of its previous seven games, played mostly with a six-player rotation because Jalen Celestine and Langston Love missed their fourth straight game with ankle injuries.
Duke transfer Jeremy Roach, who finished with 13 points, picked up his fourth foul with 16:59 left and Arizona ahead 46-25.
Norchad Ormier also played in foul trouble throughout and committed four fouls. He finished with nine points.
Jaden Bradley had 13 points, five rebounds and six assists for Arizona.
KJ Lewis finished with 11 points and seven assists.
All top eight players in Arizona’s rotation scored, including Anthony Dell’Orso, who produced all nine of his points in the first half when Arizona built a 42-19 lead at the break.
Robert Wright led Baylor with 16 points off the bench and VJ Edgecombe had 14.
Arizona fell behind when Omier made a layup 14 seconds in but the Wildcats did not trail thereafter.
Omier exited briefly after he was called for his second foul with 18:54 remaining in the first half.
Arizona built an 11-4 lead before Omier made the Bears’ second field goal of the game, a 3-pointer with 13:36 left in the half.
The Wildcats took control of the half following a 12-0 run that put them ahead 37-15 with 2:25 remaining until halftime.
Caleb Love made his first shot with 3:32 left and banked in a 3-pointer to culminate the 12-0 run.
Baylor shot 69 percent from the field in the second half, including 5 of 11 from 3-point range after starting 1 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Arizona shot 53.7 percent from the field for the game, tallying 21 assists on its 29 made field goals.
–Field Level Media
Arizona
Report: Cardinals Met With Hula Bowl OL
ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals have met with another Hula Bowl prospect, according to Ryan Fowler.
After previously having meetings with Wisconsin LB Jaheim Thomas and Illinois EDGE Seth Coleman, Arizona also has met with North Dakota State OL Mason Miller.
Miller just finished his fifth season at North Dakota State and does not have any official stats recorded for 2024 on his bio from the school, though he did start at multiple spots in 2023:
“Started all 15 games for the Bison, the first three at right tackle before moving to left guard for the remainder of the season…Blocked for an offense that ranked fourth in the FCS averaging 237.3 rushing yards per game and led the nation in rushing yards (3,560), rushing touchdowns (47) and offensive touchdowns (69)…The Bison also ranked second nationally in passing efficiency, completion percentage and red zone scoring.”
Versatility is certainly a tool that’s coveted by the Cardinals, especially along the offensive line. Miller having experience both inside and outside will only be a positive for him at the next level.
Arizona’s offensive line could look a lot different at the start of next year. Besides left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and center Hjlate Froholdt, all three spots are up for grabs for Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Starting left guard Evan Brown is set to hit free agency while the Cardinals may not be sold on either Isaiah Adams or Trystan Colon at right guard, both of whom split time throughout the year. Right tackle Jonah Williams suffered a season-ending injury and his status to open 2025 is very much in question while backup swing tackle Kelvin Beachum could retire.
Arizona
Arizona State friendship bench connects generations to ease loneliness
PHOENIX (AZFamily)—In a world of technology and social media, we’ve never been more connected to others. However, recent studies have shown that we’ve also never been more lonely.
According to a recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services, about half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.
However, a new initiative at Arizona State University is working to change that through its friendship bench, and that is Something Good.
The bench is meant to encourage younger and older folks just to sit and talk to one another about anything.
One of the participants is ASU alumna Pencie Culiver, who sits on the bench every Tuesday with a sign that says, “I’m all ears.”
She invited anyone to sit with her, whether for a few minutes or half an hour.
“I have really had some interesting questions, people sit down for half an hour, other people two minutes, so a big variety,” said Culiver. “I believe that I have heard most of anything, it also has taught me, kids really are lonely and they don’t have somebody to divulge things they don’t even want to divulge to their roommate or their classmate and also the complications of education we did not have when we went to ASU a long, long time ago.”
The ASU Friendship Bench Program started this past fall semester with about a dozen residents of Mirabella, a university-based retirement community located on the college campus.
Thank you to Culiver, ASU and all the participants for connecting with others and making the world a little less lonely.
Know of someone or an organization doing something good in your community? Nominate them for our segment here!
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
-
Health1 week ago
Ozempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
-
Technology6 days ago
Meta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech
-
Science4 days ago
Metro will offer free rides in L.A. through Sunday due to fires
-
Technology1 week ago
Las Vegas police release ChatGPT logs from the suspect in the Cybertruck explosion
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ Review: Thai Oscar Entry Is a Disarmingly Sentimental Tear-Jerker
-
Health1 week ago
Michael J. Fox honored with Presidential Medal of Freedom for Parkinson’s research efforts
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Movie Review: Millennials try to buy-in or opt-out of the “American Meltdown”
-
News1 week ago
Photos: Pacific Palisades Wildfire Engulfs Homes in an L.A. Neighborhood