Arizona

Pac-12 Baseball Tournament: Arizona rallies to walk off USC, take conference’s final title

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2024

Pac-12 Baseball Tournament: Arizona rallies to walk off USC, take conference’s final title

SCOTTSDALE—If this happened to be the first time all season you watched Arizona baseball—perhaps because you didn’t get the Pac-12 Network?—you’re in luck: this is how it’s been all year.

Tommy Splaine’s single to left scored Emilio Corona from 2^nd base in the bottom of the 9^th inning, giving the Wildcats a 4-3 win over USC in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game at Scottsdale Stadium.

“We did it again,” Corona said after the UA’s eighth walkoff victory this season.

Seven of those have come against conference opponents, including last week’s 4-3 win over Oregon State to clinch the regular season title. Arizona is now 10-9 in 1-run games this season.

“My heart can’t take too many of these more, but that’s how this team has been,” coach Chip Hale said. “We’ve kind of scrapped, found ways to win, found ways to score runs late.”

Arizona (36-21) was down 3-0 entering the bottom of the 7^th, but that only told half the story. The Wildcats were getting no-hit through six by USC sophomore Caden Aoki, who despite pitching on three days’ rest had the UA offense completely overmatched. He struck out eight of the first 18 batters he faced, the only baserunner reaching on a fielding error.

All that changed in the 7^th when, with 1 out, Mason White broke up the no-no with a solid single, then Maddox Mihalakis worked a 10-pitch walk to chase Aoki. The last pitch got away from the USC catcher, allowing White to go to 3^rd, and he scored on a Blake McDonald sacrifice fly to get the UA on the board.

Arizona tied it in the bottom of the 8^th on an RBI single from Brendan Summerhill and a sacrifice fly by Garen Caulfield. That rally began with a single by Splaine, the only player in the game with two hits, and for the tourney he was 5 for 15 after coming in hitting .228.

“It’s funny because Tommy can have some at-bats where there are strikeouts and he’s not doing much,” Hale said. “But it seems like when the the game’s on the line he has his best at-bats.”

Arizona having a chance to win the game wasn’t possible without senior right-hander Cam Walty, who a week after going 8.1 innings in the regular season finale against OSU tossed eight against USC. He allowed three runs and five hits, three of which could have been caught had UA outfielders not misplayed balls in the wind earlier in the game.

Anthony ‘Tonko’ Susac came in for the ninth and got three groundouts, setting the stage for the walkoff.

McDonald singled with 1 out and was run for by Corona, who has been unable to hit or play the field since taking a pitch on his right hand on May 16. The team’s leading base stealer swiped 2^nd on the first pitch to Andrew Cain.

“We had the one out, got him on, and basically just said, hey, if you get a jump, go,” Hale said. “He’s an elite baserunner.”

After Cain was intentionally walked, Splaine then deposited a 2-1 pitch into left and Corona never broke stride rounding third before sliding headfirst across home plate just ahead of the throw.

“I just really wanted to pull through for our team,” Splaine said. “I didn’t have a great two first at-bats. I was just sitting off speed there.”

USC (31-28) built its 3-0 lead by taking advantage of shaky defense from Arizona. The first run came in the 3^rdon a double to deep center that turned Summerhill around and went over his head, and in the 4^th got back-to-back triples on balls right fielder Easton Breyfogle misplayed before a legit RBI double.

“This was really scary early,” Hale said. “The at-bats were not great, the defense was not great and we stuck with it. And again, it’s all predicated on our starting pitching. When those guys keep us in the game we’ll have a chance.”

Arizona earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will be its fourth consecutive trip, which was last accomplished in the 1960s. The 64-team tourney field will be announced Monday morning, but Sunday at 5:30 p.m. the NCAA will begin tweeting out the 16 regional host sites.

With an RPI of 31, the UA’s chances of being one of those are slim. The selection committee has traditionally given those to teams in the top 16, or within a spot or two.

“That’s obviously not my decision, and whatever they want to do with us is perfectly fine with us,” Corona said. “We just want to keep playing ball and keep playing with this group. This is a special group and I don’t think anyone wants it to be done anytime soon.”

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Arizona

What have the Cardinals done in NFL free agency? – Arizona Sports

Published

9 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

What have the Cardinals done in NFL free agency? – Arizona Sports

The NFL’s legal tampering window is officially open, and it didn’t take long for the Arizona Cardinals to get in the mix.

A running list of the new names and familiar faces coming to Arizona in 2026:

New names on Cardinals roster this free agency

Kendrick Bourne

The former San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots wide receiver brings another body to Arizona’s wide receivers room that includes Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr.

He’s got plenty of familiarity with new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur from their time together in San Francisco (2017-20). Bourne also spent a year with expected Cardinals starter Jacoby Brissett in 2024 with the Patriots.

The wide receiver caught 37 passes for 551 yards in 16 games played (eight starts) last year.

He’s now on board for two years in Arizona.

Isaac Seumalo

The guard spent the past three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers after a seven-season stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He’s started 104 out of 125 games played and has spent time at both left and right guard during his NFL career.

According to Next Gen Stats, the guard allowed a 3.7% pressure rate last year. That was the lowest rate among all eligible guards in 2025.

Gardner Minshew

Minshew agreed to terms on a one-year deal on Monday.

He’s expected to back up expected starter Jacoby Brissett in 2026, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.

Coming off his seventh NFL season and first with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minshew appeared in four games (one start) last year. He completed 46.2% of his throws for 37 yards and an interception.

Before landing with the Chiefs, Minshew spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders (2024), Indianapolis Colts (2023), Philadelphia Eagles (2021-22) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-20).

RB Tyler Allgeier

Allgeier comes over to Arizona on a reported two-year contract.

Before agreeing to terms on the $12.25 million deal with Arizona on Monday, Allgeier played four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

He ran for 514 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries last year, while adding another 14 catches for 96 yards.

While he worked mostly behind Bijan Robinson the past three years, Allgeier did surpass the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie in 2022.

Familiar faces

L.J. Collier

Collier is back on a one-year deal.

The defensive lineman appeared in four games in 2025 due to a knee injury suffered in Week 2.

He recorded six tackles and two QB hits in what was his third season with the team.

Roy Lopez

After a one-year stint with the Detroit Lions, Lopez is back with his hometown team on a reported two-year deal.

In 17 games played last year, he recorded two sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass defensed.

Before his time in Detroit, Lopez spent two seasons with Arizona from 2023-24. During that span, he registered a sack, six tackles for loss, three passes defensed and a forced fumble in 30 games played (21 starts).

K Chad Ryland

Ryland is back on a one-year deal, the team announced.

Ryland went through plenty of struggles last season after a having a career year in 2024. His accuracy dropped from 87.5% in 2024 to 75.8% last season. He was especially inconsistent from 40 yards and on, compiling a 13-of-20 mark (65%). Inside 40 yards, though, Ryland was 12-of-13 (92.3%).

Arizona brought in kicker Josh Karty late in the year (more on him later), but Ryland never gave up his role and appeared in all 17 games.

A one-year deal isn’t going to break the bank by any means.

P Blake Gillikin

The Cardinals must feel pretty good about where Gillikin is at in his recovering from a back injury last year with their signing of the punter to a one-year deal.

Before he went down five games into the season, the punter was leading the league in yards per punt with 51.7.

Not only that, across his five seasons (65 games) in the NFL, he holds the all-time record for yards per punt at 48.5.

Staying healthy is key for Gillikin, who also missed time in 2024 due to an ankle injury.

RB James Conner

Technically not a free agent, Conner was a potential cut candidate given his contract.

But after reportedly revising his deal, Conner is returning for his sixth season with the Cardinals.

The running back brings plenty of leadership and a bruising running style to the mix.

He’s coming off an abbreviated 2025 (three games) due to an ankle injury but had rushed for a pair of 1,000-yard seasons the two years prior. He scored at least seven rushing touchdowns each season from 2022-24.

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

Much like Conner, Murphy-Bunting was another prime cut candidate due to his contract but reportedly revised his deal with Arizona as well.

Murphy-Bunting has a lot to prove after missing all of 2025 due to an injury suffered away from the team facility.

In his first season with the Cardinals, the cornerback recorded 52 tackles, three interceptions, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles across 15 starts.

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Arizona’s Jaden Bradley named Big 12 men’s basketball player of year

Published

21 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Arizona’s Jaden Bradley named Big 12 men’s basketball player of year

The Arizona men’s basketball team went 29-2 overall and 16-2 in the Big 12, winning the conference’s regular season title.

The Wildcats were rewarded for their dominance in the Big 12’s men’s basketball awards, which were announced on March 9.

Arizona’s Jaden Bradley was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, while Tobe Awaka earned the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year award and coach Tommy Lloyd earned Coach of the Year accolades.

Bradley averaged 13.4 points and 4.6 assists. Awaka was the nation’s leading rebounder off the bench, averaging 9.7 rebounds and 9.9 points when entering the game as a reserve. Lloyd led Arizona to its first Big 12 regular-season title.

Arizona State was completely shut out of the awards, with Moe Odum not receiving honorable mention honors despite averaging 17.1 points per game and 5.9 assists per game for the Sun Devils.

2026 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball Awards

Player of the Year: Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Defensive Player of the Year: Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Freshman of the Year: AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Newcomer of the Year: Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Sixth Man Award: Tobe Awaka, Arizona*
Most Improved: Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Coach of the Year: Tommy Lloyd, Arizona

All-Big 12 First Team

Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Brayden Burries, Arizona
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
AJ Dybantsa, BYU*
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
Kingston Flemings, Houston*
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
JT Toppin, Texas Tech*

All-Big 12 Second Team

Richie Saunders, BYU
Baba Miller, Cincinnati
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Darryn Peterson, Kansas

All-Big 12 Third Team

Koa Peat, Arizona
Cameron Carr, Baylor
Rob Wright, BYU
Themus Fulks, UCF
Xavier Edmonds, TCU

All-Big 12 Honorable Mention:

Arizona: Tobe Awaka
Baylor: Tounde Yessoufou
Cincinnati: Moustapha Thiam
Colorado: Isaiah Johnson
Houston: Joseph Tugler, Milos Uzan
Kansas: Melvin Council Jr.
Kansas State: PJ Haggerty
Oklahoma State: Parsa Fallah
TCU: David Punch
Texas Tech: Donovan Atwell
West Virginia: Honor Huff
Utah: Terrence Brown

All-Defensive Team

Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Flory Bidunga, Kansas*

A tie resulted in an extra position on the team

All-Freshman Team

Brayden Burries, Arizona*
Koa Peat, Arizona
AJ Dybantsa, BYU*
Kingston Flemings, Houston*
Darryn Peterson, Kansas*

All-Newcomer Team

Cameron Carr, Baylor
Themus Fulks, UCF
Baba Miller, Cincinnati
Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Donovan Atwell, Texas Tech

*- unanimous selection

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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Arizona gas prices rise above national average amid Middle East conflict

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Arizona gas prices rise above national average amid Middle East conflict

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The average price of regular gasoline in Arizona surged more than 30 cents in just a few days, according to AAA, leaving the state’s average at around $3.84 per gallon as of Sunday. The national average stands at $3.45.

Arizona is now one of the most expensive states in the country to fill up, topping the national average by nearly 40 cents.

AAA said the war in Iran is affecting crude oil prices, which are now trading at more than $100 per barrel. Arizona’s Family also reported a slowdown in a major ship channel in the Middle East, adding further pressure to the market.

A seasonal factor is also contributing to the spike. The transition to summer-blend gasoline, which is required in spring, is driving prices higher as well.

Drivers at a central Phoenix gas station said they were caught off guard by the rapid increase.

“I was appalled,” one driver said.

“It was ridiculous,” said another.

“That is a lot, especially in such a short period of time,” said Andrea Webb.

The gas station attendant said some drivers are limiting how much they spend per fill-up, putting in only $10 to $20 at a time. Others said they are actively searching for the lowest posted price.

“I feel like I’m always on the hunt for whatever is the cheapest gas,” said Bailey Mitchell. “This was $4.09 versus $4.15, so I’ll take it.”

Not all drivers said they are cutting back.

“I’m gonna bite the bullet. I need gas in my car. I’ll fill it up,” said Webb.

ASU professor of supply chain management, Hitendra Chaturvedi, said oil prices could approach $130 per barrel if the war in Iran continues. That scenario could push Arizona gas prices close to $6 per gallon, the professor said. No timeline was given.

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