Despite recent struggles, ASU baseball looks to end Men’s College World Series drought

PHOENIX – ASU has one of the more storied programs in all of college baseball, yet the Sun Devils have failed to reach the Men’s College World Series since 2010. Will that trend end this season? The Sun Devils enter Friday’s opener with optimism.

Arizona State baseball coach Willie Bloomquist sounds optimistic about the upcoming season, saying, “I’m sleeping better this time than I was last year at this time.” (Photo by Nikash Nath/Cronkite News)

From Div. I to JUCO… then back to DI: Hunter Omlid, Tyson Heaton take unusual paths to GCU

PHOENIX – Hunter Omlid and Tyson Heaton have take unconventional baseball journeys. Both committed to a Division I baseball program, then found themselves at Central Arizona, a junior college program, playing baseball a year later. Now, they both find themselves at GCU playing out the rest of their collegiate careers.

Grand Canyon University senior pitcher Hunter Omlid previous played for Boise State. The program was disbanded, and he was forced to find a new place to play baseball. (Photo by Lauren Hertz/Cronkite News)

Former ASU baseball coach Tracy Smith returns to Valley in MLB Desert Invitational

PHOENIX – Former ASU baseball coach Tracy Smith returns to the Valley when his Michigan Wolverines compete in the MLB Desert Invitational baseball tournament.

Tracy Smith, right, coached seven seasons at Arizona State before he was let go. Now the head coach at Michigan, he said, “I appreciated my time,” in Tempe. (File photo by Jordan Kaye/Cronkite News)

The future of traffic enforcement? Officers text you the ticket

SAN ANTONIO - Former San Antonio police officer Val Garcia started Trusted Driver, which allows motorists to opt in to receiving text warnings or citations of minor traffic violations. The program also can eliminate miscommunications between driver and officer, which can turn deadly.

Val Garcia, the president and CEO of Trusted Driver, which uses texts to notify drivers of minor traffic violations, talks about his company in San Antonio. (Photo by Kyra O’Connor/News21)

Student storytelling at Arizona Capitol advances immigration group’s policy priorities

PHOENIX — About 150 students with Aliento visited the Capitol Wednesday to meet with legislators to talk about immigration policy priorities, including initiatives on driver’s licenses, repealing English-only and securing funding for College Promise programs.

Students go between the Arizona House and Senate for meetings with state legislators on Feb. 15, 2023. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite News)

Arizona advocates win national recognition for work on Proposition 308

WASHINGTON - An Arizona nonprofit was honored here Tuesday for its push to win in-state tuition for undocumented students, a change that organizers said has moved the state from an "epicenter of hate toward immigrants into an epicenter of hope."


ASU’s play ‘Safe At Home’ gives audiences unique, eye-opening theater experience

TEMPE – The unique play “Safe At Home,” an ASU production, gives viewers a chance to see behind the scenes at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Tour guides navigate the audience across nine scenes during a 90-minute interactive experience.

A major league umpire and the vice president of Major League Basketball in a scene from "Safe at Home." (Photo courtesy of Tim Trumble)

Bigger bases, no defensive shifts and a pitch clock: MLB implements rule changes for 2023 spring training and beyond

SCOTTSDALE – MLB hosted a rules demonstration at Salt River Fields Tuesday to introduce media to the way the ghost runner, banned shift, pitch clock and bigger bases will work beginning with spring training and into the 2023 regular season.

Joe Martinez, the vice president of on-field strategy at MLB, demonstrated the implementation of the pitch clock Tuesday ahead of the 2023 season. (Photo by Lauren Hertz/Cronkite News)

Tribe seeks burial for mountain lion P-22 in LA park

LOS ANGELES - Indigenous communities view wildlife as relatives and honor their memory by welcoming them back to nature. Even a deceased mountain lion.

Celebrity deejay Diplo speaks onstage during Celebration Of Life For Beloved Mountain Lion P-22 at The Greek Theatre on Feb. 4, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for the National Wildlife Federation)

Mexican wolf program is making strides after 25 years of effort

ALPINE - The first captive-raised Mexican wolf was released into the wild 25 years ago, when the species was on the verge of extinction. The Arizona Game and Fish Department says it is proud of the progress of the wolf program, which is steadily reaching its goals.

Arizona Game and Fish Department biologist Bailey Dilgard carries an alpha female wolf from a helicopter in Alpine Jan. 26, 2023, to hand her off to Pamela Maciel Cabañas, the sanctuary manager at the Wolf Haven International in Washington state. (Photo by Lydia Curry/Cronkite News)

Blind skateboarder is a ‘sports junkie’ who inspires others

LOS ANGELES - Learning how to ride a skateboard takes dedication and confidence, sighted or not. You can’t be afraid to fall and crash. Blind skateboarder Coco Atama isn’t afraid of falling and certainly staying true to self.

Coco Atama, who is blind, uses his cane to alert him to a dropoff as he flip his skateboard back in this photo taken Jan. 26, 2023 in a skate park in the Encino section of Los Angeles. (Photo by Ayana Hamilton/Cronkite News)

Arizona Diamondbacks adding new wrinkle to jerseys with Avnet patch

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks unveiled its new jersey advertisement recently, with Avnet becoming the franchise’s new partner. The ad is a black square with the Avnet logo and text that matches some of the team’s colors. The reaction has been mixed.

The Arizona Diamondbacks' jerseys will undergo slight alterations ahead of the 2023 season and feature an Avnet-sponsored sleeve patch. (Photo by Sarah Sachs/Arizona Diamondbacks/Getty Images)