Arizona baseball had won five of its last seven games, which included three road wins, entering Friday evening’s matchup with Kansas State.
Arizona
Single mother from Arizona represents state at RNC 2024
PHOENIX — A single mother who works two jobs to support her family spoke at the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Sara Workman supported Donald Trump in her three-minute speech on Monday, praising his economic policies and critiquing President Joe Biden.
“I know Americans can relate when I say that, every time I fill up my gas tank, go to the grocery store and try to pay the bills, I think, ‘Who doesn’t miss the Trump days?’” Workman told the crowd at Fiserv Forum.
Workman was the first of three Arizonans selected to speak at this week’s convention as “everyday Americans.” She’ll be followed by rancher Jim Chilton and businessman David Lara.
Single mother from Arizona critiques Biden on economy, culture
She said President Joe Biden’s economic policies have caused problems for families across the U.S. — not just in Arizona.
However, that wasn’t her only grievance with the 46th president.
“It’s not just the economic pain we’re all feeling under Joe Biden,” Workman said. “It’s how they’re destroying the American spirit. Everywhere we look, there’s pain, chaos and crisis.”
Her speech came two days after an assassination attempt at a Republican campaign rally in Pennsylvania. A 20-year-old shooter wounded Trump’s ear, killed a former fire chief and critically injured two others.
Workman accused Democrats of systematically spreading negativity in the U.S.
“Open borders, woke indoctrination in our schools, violence in our cities and unjust rulings in our courts. All of it is eroding one of America’s greatest strengths: optimism,” Workman said. “While the left is trying to divide us with identity politics, we are here tonight because we believe that America is always, and should be, one nation, under God.”
RNC 2024 Arizona speaker says drugs from border ruined family
On top of accusing Biden of hurting the economy and American culture, Workman also took aim at the president’s immigration policies.
“In addition to the economic pain, the Democrats’ open-border policies have shattered my family,” she said. “With drugs so readily available, my husband fell victim to the drug epidemic. It tore our family apart and now I raise our son alone.”
Her concerns over the border mirrored thoughts held by many other Americans. A February 2024 report from the Pew Research Center found 80% of Americans thought the U.S. government wasn’t effectively handling the migrant influx at the border with Mexico. Three percent of respondents said they were concerned about drug issues related to the migrant influx.
However, most drugs that flow over the border are brought by American citizens — not undocumented migrants, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Specifically, American citizens made up 89% of convicted fentanyl drug traffickers in 2022. This number was 12 times higher than the amount of undocumented migrants convicted of trafficking fentanyl.
Workman wrapped up her speech by quoting the Bible and urging Republicans to make the country great again.
“I know there is hope. That is what this election represents for all of us that have been forgotten over the last four years,” she said. “If you’re watching tonight and you hear your own story in mine, Donald Trump put me on this stage to show that he sees us, he hears us, and we are forgotten no more.”
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
Arizona
Arizona baseball drops low-scoring series opener to Kansas State
In the first game of the series, Arizona (14-23, 5-11 Big 12) battled in a low-scoring affair but fell short in a 2-1 loss to Kansas State (24-12, 8-8 Big 12). The Wildcats from Tucson held the Wildcats from Manhattan at bay for a good majority of the night.
Given that Kansas State leads the Big 12 in conference play in batting, on-base percentage, and slugging, Arizona had a rather good performance, but it was not enough.
Owen Kramkowski pitched seven scoreless innings before allowing the first Kansas State run in the top of the eight. He finished with six strikeouts and kept the high octane Wildcats at bay.
“I thought the defense played well behind him too,” said head coach Chip Hale. “There’s a lot of ground balls, and we made plays where we were positioned in good places, and he was pitching in the eighth inning. That’s unbelievable.”
Garrett Hicks (3-1) came in to try and stop the bleeding for the Wildcats and did so by not allowing Kansas State to take the lead in the eighth. It was in the ninth when the lead was surrendered.
It took until the sixth inning but the first run was scored by Arizona. Andrew Cain singled to left field and after Maddox Mihalakis flew out, it was Beau Sylvester bringing Cain home with a triple through right center field.
Sylvester extended his hitting streak to eight games and it proved to be not enough to get Arizona to the finish line.
Kansas State tied the game at the top of the eight when back to back singles got runners on at first and third. Then a passed ball allowed the third base runner to come home.
Arizona had a chance to retake the lead in the bottom of the ninth after Cain singled to deep right field. With Sylvester back at the plate, it seemed like it was a perfect set up.
A wild pitch nearly got past Kansas State and Cain tried to take advantage of it and steal home. However, Kansas State was able to corral the pitch and get Cain out at home.
AJ Evasco started the ninth inning with a double for Kansas State and back to back fly outs eventually got him home to give Kansas State the lead and the win.
With eight players being left on base, Arizona will need to bring those runners in more often than not if they want to tie the series Saturday afternoon.
As a young team, the Wildcats have had to walk a very tight line between disappointment and dejection and will need to continue handling these losses with grace if it wants to turn a corner.
“It’s the way it goes, it’s baseball,” said Hale. “If we don’t handle it, we will come out tomorrow and won’t be ready to go, so hopefully they handle it.”
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