Arizona
Pac-12 Baseball Tournament: Arizona trying to stay grounded after emotional regular season finish
Saturday night was the highest of highs for Arizona, winning the final Pac-12 regular season title in dramatic fashion with a walkoff at Hi Corbett Field. But Monday brought a return to reality, as the Wildcats put forth a less than enthusiastic practice in preparation for the conference tournament.
“I’ll give you a pass today, but tomorrow let’s have a good one,” Chip Hale said he told the team afterward. “Be ready for Wednesday. Washington’s gonna bring everything they have at us.”
Arizona (33-20) opens the Pac-12 Tournament at 7 p.m. PT Wednesday against the ninth-seeded Huskies (19-29-1) in the first of two pool play games at Scottsdale Stadium. The Wildcats also face No. 6 Cal (34-18) on Thursday night, and as the No. 1 seed only need to win once to earn a spot in Friday’s semifinals.
“Our attitude going in is we want to win every game,” Hale said. “We want to win every inning, you want to win every out, so we’re going to do the best we can to win it. There will be some times during Wednesday’s game where they need to get their feet back on the ground. It may not start great, I know that.”
With that in mind, though, the UA won’t throw any of its three weekend starters in the opener, going with left-hander Bradon Zastrow in what will be a bullpen game akin to the May 7 win at ASU. That would line up lefty Jackson Kent to face Cal, then have righty Clark Candiotti for the semis and righty Cam Walty for Saturday’s Pac-12 title game.
“We didn’t want to push Kent up a day again,” Hale said. “This way he gets seven days, and then for the regional (all three starters) will get even one more day.”
Kent has allowed five runs in three consecutive starts after having a 2.41 ERA through his first 11 outings. Hale said the redshirt sophomore’s arm is fine, it was just a matter of leaving his changeup up in the zone against a potent Oregon State offense, which knocked him out after three innings last Thursday.
Regardless of what happens in Scottsdale this week, Arizona will be in next week’s NCAA Tournament. That wasn’t the case a year ago when the Wildcats had to get to the Pac-12 final to sneak into the NCAA field, beating ASU and Oregon State to win its pool and then run-ruling top seed Stanford before falling to Oregon in the title game.
The different scenarios shouldn’t create different approaches to the tourney, infielder Garen Caulfield said.
“I think it’s just continuing to play the game one pitch at a time and treating every game like we have nothing to lose and playing with house money,” said Caulfield, one of eight Wildcats to earn all-conference honors.
Some added motivation could come from starting with a Washington team that took two of three from Arizona late last month in Seattle. The Wildcats won the first game 3-2, dropped the middle 4-3 and led 8-3 in the 8th before blowing the lead and falling in 13 innings.
“I think the guys felt like we should have won two out of three,” Hale said. “I think that adds a little juice to it.”
Hale defers Coach of the Year praise
Asked about winning Pac-12 Coach of the Year, Hale was quick to credit everyone around him for what he called a “staff award.” The players say otherwise.
“I think he’s played a role in every step of success we’ve had,” Caulfield said. “He’s kept our heads straight. We weren’t picked to finish very high, as you guys know, and we used that as a chip on our shoulder and Chip just continued to put together good plans for every practice and all the games and everything. So it’s very exciting to see him win.”
Added Candiotti: “Just keeping everyone together and making sure that everyone’s on the same page and no one’s getting left behind, so to speak. Making sure everyone’s right at the top, right at that level and just always moving forward. Never getting stuck on events in the past.”
The first person in conference history to win both Player and Coach of the Year awards in baseball, Hale said his ability to be patient with a young team was his biggest goal for the season.
“The one thing about coming from the pro side to the college side is … if you’re out of the game, you don’t have a good start to it, you have 144 in the minor leagues and have 162 in the big leagues, so be it,” he said. “But every game is a World Series in college. It’s so super important to win every game. And so to be patient through a 9-inning game, understand that there’s going toand flows, which I do. So just be patient. And if they need a little jab, or a little kick in the butt, know when to do that. I think that’s been probably my biggest goal this year.”
Injury update
Arizona’s outfield situation became so injury depleted last weekend against Oregon State that reliever Casey Hintz, recruited as a two-way player, was forced into starting the last two games in center. But heading into the Pac-12 tourney, reinforcements may be on the way.
Hale said freshman Easton Breyfogle, who has out since pulling a hamstring at Washington on April 27, is “close” to returning and could be in the lineup Wednesday night. Senior Emilio Corona and redshirt freshman TJ Adams are both expected to be on the tourney roster, which at 30 is three more than for Pac-12 games, but neither are likely to be able to hit.
Corona, who was hit on the right hand with a pitch on Thursday, can’t grip a bat yet but could pinch run—he was in consideration for that Saturday night in the 9th inning—and possibly play defense. Adams, who injured his right shoulder crashing into the wall at Utah on May 10, has yet to resume baseball activities but could run the bases if needed.
Arizona
High-upside three-star CB commits to Arizona over Washington football
The Washington Huskies saw one of their few remaining uncommitted targets in the 2027 class go elsewhere on Thursday afternoon when three-star cornerback Evan Mack announced his commitment to Jedd Fisch’s former program, the Arizona Wildcats.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound product of Crean Lutheran High School in Southern California chose coach Brent Brennan’s team out of a final three that also included the Huskies and Arizona State, after official visits to all three programs.
After taking an unofficial visit to Seattle for spring practice in April, Mack took his first official visit, a trip to Arizona State, on May 1. Then, he returned to Montlake on June 5, before wrapping things up in Tucson on June 19, which made enough of an impact for the Wildcats to win the battle for his services.
As a junior, the nation’s No. 613 overall prospect and No. 64 cornerback, according to the 247Sports Composite, tallied 49 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions, while showcasing the promising athleticism and ball skills that secondary coach John Richardson is looking for on the outside.
If he were to have chosen the Huskies, Mack, who has plenty of room to add weight to his frame for the physicality of the Big Ten, would’ve had a long route to the field. Behind projected starters Dylan Robinson and Emmanuel Karnley, who both have eligibility to return in 2027, Washington’s coaching staff is expecting a contribution from four-star freshman Rahsjon Duncan on the outside, while his classmate Jeron Jones and sophomore Elias Johnson both stood out during spring practice.
The Huskies currently have one commit at cornerback in three-star Maurice Williams; however, the Huskies also hold several projections to reel in coveted four-star IMG Academy product Censere Gaylord.
Arizona
Arizona Chamber installs Monica Coury as board chair – Chamber Business News
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry has installed Monica Coury, vice president of external affairs at Arizona Complete Health, as chair of its board of directors, as the organization begins its new fiscal year.
Coury officially assumed the chairmanship during a ceremonial passing of the gavel at the Chamber’s June 26 board meeting. She succeeds Ted Geisler, president and CEO of APS, who served as board chair over the past two years.
As chair, Coury will lead the Chamber’s board while helping guide the organization’s efforts to advance policies that strengthen Arizona’s economy, improve the state’s business climate, and promote long-term prosperity.
“It is an incredible honor to serve as chair of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry,” Coury said. “I want to thank my fellow board members for the confidence they’ve placed in me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the Chamber’s outstanding team. The Chamber has long been one of Arizona’s most effective and respected advocates on behalf of the state’s job creators, and I look forward to building on that legacy as we continue working to make Arizona the best place in the nation to live, work, and do business.”
Coury has served on the Chamber’s board for several years. She previously chaired the Public Affairs Committee and most recently served as chair-elect. In her role at Arizona Complete Health, she oversees one of the state’s leading health plans and has been a prominent voice on issues involving healthcare access, workforce development, and Arizona’s economic competitiveness.
“Monica is an exceptional leader whose collaborative approach, strategic vision, and deep commitment to Arizona make her the ideal person to lead our board,” said Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “She understands that a strong economy depends on smart public policy, and she has consistently brought thoughtful leadership and sound judgment to the Chamber. I look forward to working closely with Monica as we continue advancing policies that help Arizona employers create jobs, invest, and grow.”
Seiden also thanked Geisler for his leadership during a period that included significant legislative successes and continued growth for the Chamber.
“Ted has been an outstanding chairman, a trusted partner, and a friend,” Seiden said. “His steady leadership, business acumen, and unwavering commitment to Arizona’s economic future have helped position the Chamber for continued success. We are grateful for his service and look forward to his continued counsel and involvement on our board.”
The Chamber also installed the following governing board officers:
- Chair-elect: Jimmy Lindblom, Willmeng Construction
- Vice-chair, audit & finance: Don Isaacson, Isaacson Law Firm
- Vice-chair, manufacturing: Angela Creedon, Intel
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry is Arizona’s leading statewide business advocacy organization, representing employers of every size and industry across the state. The Chamber’s mission is to advance Arizona’s competitiveness through policies that foster economic growth, job creation, and opportunity for all Arizonans.
Arizona
Records: Toddler found alive in hospital morgue after being pronounced dead by Arizona doctor
GILBERT, AZ — An Arizona toddler was found breathing inside a Gilbert hospital morgue after being declared dead hours earlier by an Arizona doctor, according to police records.
A police report and body camera video reviewed by the ABC15 Investigators show that two Gilbert police officers saw signs of life multiple times, but the toddler was still taken to the hospital’s “cold room,” which is also considered to be the morgue.
One officer wrote in the police report that the baby was pronounced dead “in error” by the Mercy Gilbert doctor even after a tense exchange about a pulse possibly being detected.
The 18-month-old was rushed to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center after he was found inside the family’s pool on Super Bowl Sunday in February.
It has taken months for the Gilbert police to release public records related to the near-drowning.
The ABC15 Investigators reviewed a half dozen body camera videos, including videos from the initial drowning scene and videos inside the hospital. Most of the videos are heavily blurred, and most of the audio has been muted, but one critical moment was captured between the doctor and the officer.
According to the police report, the officer wrote that a nurse in another room said: “I have a pulse.”
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The officer wrote that when he tried to alert the doctor who was with the family in another room, the doctor appeared to dismiss the concerns, “[The doctor] arrogantly told me he was the doctor, he has the medical degree, he went to medical school for a reason, and to let him do his thing.”
Records show that shortly after that exchange, the doctor went on to declare the baby dead.
Over the next hour, two Gilbert police officers continued to document signs of life in their police report.
One officer wrote, “The release of air was audible and visible,” later writing, “It also began to sound like [redacted] was gasping for air.”
The report goes on to say that when medical staff went to move the boy’s body to the morgue, the officer wrote that she “observed what appeared to be another audible gasp.”
That was not the last time she heard signs of life, either.
While inside the morgue, the officer said, “I again observed what appeared to be a gasp or air release, which was now almost an hour later.”
A nurse who was there said those sounds could be a response to efforts to save the toddler.
Some of the last audio recordings heard on the body camera videos were of an officer telling the family that they could say goodbye.
The report says, hours later, at 11:52 p.m., the Medical Examiner’s transport showed up and found the toddler was breathing inside the hospital morgue. He was then flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for treatment.
An MRI said that the baby had brain damage, and we are told he will need lifelong care.
An attorney representing the family declined to comment.
Mercy Gilbert said in a statement, “This is a heartbreaking situation. We immediately conducted a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care. Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, we cannot discuss details. We continue to work with the family and their representative. Patient safety and exceptional care is our highest priority.”
HAVE A TIP? Email Investigator Nicole Grigg at nicole.grigg@abc15.com.
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