Search result for James Anderson

World Baseball Classic’s return to Chase Field brings 2013 nostalgia

PHOENIX – This week, Chase Field is hosting the World Baseball Classic for the first time in 10 years. Team USA, Mexico, Canada, Great Britain and Colombia are playing on the world stage in Phoenix for the first time since 2013.

A photo of Chase Field with flags for the U.S., Canada, Colombia, Great Britain and Mexico.

Team USA renews World Baseball Classic hopes with rout of Team Canada

After Monday’s victory against Team Canada, Team USA stayed alive with a 12-1 victory and sit only one win away from advancing to the next round of the World Baseball Classic.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout drilled a 3-run homer in Team USA's pivotal win over Team Canada. After the game, he said Team USA "a little swagger" entering the matchup. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

3 years later, ASU reflects on how COVID-19 stalled a burgeoning athletic program

TEMPE – The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on many athletic programs, but it was particularly tough on Arizona State, which was on a roll when the coronavirus halted sports.

Arizona State’s athletic teams were on a roll when the pandemic struck three years ago. In some ways, ASU is still recovering. (Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)

Second home? White Sox players say Camelback Ranch has feel of Chicago’s South Side

GLENDALE – Camelback Ranch, the spring training home of the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, feels like a second home to many White Sox players, as two of the practice fields have the same dimensions as their home base, Guaranteed Rate Field on Chicago’s South Side.

Pitchers Matthew Thompson, left, and Davis Martin build camaraderie with teammates, mangers and coaches in the White Sox clubhouse at Camelback Ranch. (Photo by Lauren Hertz/Cronkite News)

12-year drought: Yavapai College basketball teams finish first seasons since programs cut

PHOENIX – For the first time in over a decade, basketball has returned to Yavapai Community College in Prescott. Although both the men’s and women's teams posted losing records, the programs are hopeful for the future and happy to have basketball back on campus.

Keyla Cervantes, a freshman on the Yavapai Community College women’s basketball team, runs onto the court before a recent game. (Photo courtesy of Chris Henstra/Yavapai Athletics)

‘Are the KD jerseys here yet?’ Valley businesses excited about possible economic boost from Kevin Durant

PHOENIX – Local bars, restaurants, and sports memorabilia shops have felt the residual effects of Kevin Durant’s arrival in the Valley. Ahead of his Suns debut, downtown is prepared for an increase in foot traffic and sales.

The Kevin Durant era is underway in Phoenix after the Suns pulled off a blockbuster trade last month to land the 13-time All-Star. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

‘I will never stop’: Legislative fight against fentanyl continues as drug seizures rise

PRESCOTT — Record amounts of fentanyl passing through the southern border and the death of a beloved daughter spurred a Prescott family to raise awareness and fight for new legislation in Arizona.

Michael Humphries, Customs and Border Protection area port director of the Port of Nogales, shows a photo on Jan. 26, 2023, of fentanyl seized at the port. (Photo by Logan Camden/Cronkite News)

Sun Devil lacrosse rides ‘The Energy Bus’ to success after an offseason full of change

PHOENIX – Arizona State University lacrosse has seen immense change since its trip to the 2022 Pac-12 championship game. The team looks to use new players and new coaches to its advantage in the upcoming season.

The ASU women's lacrosse team aims to make another run at the Pac-12 championship with 12 new players and a first-year coaching staff. (Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)

Republicans, Democrats offer differing visions during respective Arizona border visits

DOUGLAS – House Speaker Kevin McCarthy toured the border Thursday with a delegation of Republican freshmen and demanded border security from the Biden administration for an area where McCarthy said Mexican "cartels are the biggest employer." Democrats brushed the tour off as just another photo op along the border.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., visited the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. McCarthy had made securing the border a key issue during the midterm elections. (Photo by James Powel/Cronkite News)

New Suns acquisition Kevin Durant: ‘I know what a championship would mean to this city’

PHOENIX – The deal was done but fans had yet to hear Kevin Durant speak. That changed Thursday when the newest Phoenix Suns player met the media in front of a cheering crowd.

Durant acknowledges the crowd after he was introduced and said, “I know what a championship would mean to this city.” (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Hope springs anew: Diamondbacks pitchers and catchers report to spring training

SCOTTSDALE – Pitchers and catchers for the Arizona Diamondbacks reported to spring training for the 2023 season this week. The players are excited to be back in the clubhouse and eager to improve on last year’s 74-88 mark.

Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply fires a pitch to catcher Carson Kelly on the first day of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale. (Photo by Brevin Monroe/Cronkite News)

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)