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Monday, May 8, Hour 2

May 09, 202353 min
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Monday pod, Hour 2: BREAKING NEWS− Bronny James commits to USC; Former Arizona pitcher now a college softball TV analyst Kenzie Fowler previews the Pac-12 softball tournament being played in Tucson; Calling for support of the Pac-12 tournament from the local softball community.

Transcript

Streaming live on the iHeart Radio Whip. This is I on the Ball with Steve Ribera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Welcome back in the Bollingham Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm your host, Jay Gonzalez. My partner Steve is out for one more day. I've got Adam Gonzalez, former sideat Arizona here, and we've got Devin working the working the board for us.

So we've got we had a good conversation so far with Jodi Ayler talking about the Suns, a lot of other stuff going on, and Devin's about to bring you some more with breaking news. All right, let's start with some Arizona softball news. As Arizona Softball, as we've been talking about, is

starting the PAC twelfth Tournament against a issue on Wednesday. But here's a cool stat I saw an Arizona Athletics tweet out today that Eliska ex finished the season with no errors, a perfect building percentage in one hundred and sixty two chances. Oh man, That's that's hard to do. That's just hard to do. I mean, my goal for every game I played in field in my entire life was to play one game without an error, not you know, take get three chances and not making air. So one hundred and how many?

One hundred and sixty two, that's pretty good. That's amazing. I mean, you've played a lot of baseball. How much baseball you played, Devin, Not really, but Adam, I know, Adam did? I mean you get those streets hit. That's pretty dark and good. So congratulations to Alie Skaggs. All right, let's move on this with some Arizona women's

golf seat off today at the NCAA Regionals in North Carolina. As Arizona sits behind ASU, Florida State, and North Carolina As they're in fourth place right there, in fourth place, but they just got to finish in the top five to advance to to advance to the national tournament. So um and they did that last year. I believe they were in it last year, so, you know, trying to hang on there and just play well, you know, get so obviously important to get off to good starts, so good

for them. A couple of players in the top five. I'm not trying to say I don't I don't know, man, I'm sorry. If you're listening, you shot a seventy today and you did really well. Her last name is very long. Okay, all right. Arizona men's tennis advanced from the NCAA Tucson Regional and we'll be playing Ohio State on Saturday in the ncable A Superregionals. Good for Clancy Shields. I know Clancy pretty well. I was kind of their sid, like I oversaw the student that ran in.

But Clancy is a good dude and I'm really happy for him. And they put in so much work in this. But like the way he went about it, like culture wise, first you got like the right guys to come play for him. They all love to play for him. They all love each other. It's it's it's it's cool to see his vision what you know, as a coach, when you talk about you know, the culture and

stuff, I mean, what is he trying? What is he created over there or continuing to try to create In terms of what the program is about. I mean, do you have a way putting? Does that care? Yeah? Like really care. They really cares. It's a it's a big thing. They care about the program. Yeah. Because yeah, and you would imagine individual sport, Yeah, it's for an individual sport. That might be harder to because I mean, look, I'm also I'll say, and

I've said it before. I thought they've been some guys that came through the Arizona basketball program under Sean Miller who didn't feel cared about the program. They just cared about getting theirs. Yeah, no, they are. It's a team. It's a legit team. Yeah. And they feed off each other. They're all friends. That's it's it's cool to see. Yeah, Clancy was awesome. I was. I was there when he got hired. That

was funny. I was on a I was on a an interview committee or the job search committee was for for for one of her, an assistant coach. He asked me to be on it. Oh wow, okay, okay, well go again and again. We've had him on the show. He's always great. He appreciates being on the show, which we love, and he comes on every time we asked him to come on. And he's always had a lot of good stuff to talk about. And you know, he

details us that. I mean, you know what he's trying to do, which is and the thing too is he deserves you know, all the athletes he's getting in a lot of other like Arizona is not known to be a good tennis program. He stuck it out here. He could have right, probably somewhere else and probably still good if he wants. But good and good for he's been. Hopefully they take care of him, you know, because I know the facility needs some work. The facility needs a lot of Yeah,

I agree with that. Yeah, but did you see that he had to play against his brother in the first round? No, they played Boise State in the first round. Brother, his brothers the coach there. Wow, I didn't see that that. They did well, they crushed both of them both. They went for zip on both of their opponents this last weekend. But brothers at Boise State, all right, Well, good for Clancy Shields all right at Ohio State on Saturday, set on Saturday. Okay,

we'll keep an eye on that. Let's go to some NCAA news with LSU and Yukon. Finally got their date for when they're going to go to the White House. Yeah, both on the same day. But sport ceremonies right May twenty six, Yeah, did you see Um Reese? Um the Angel Angel Reese. She's now in the swimsuit edition of Sports illustrated and I al ill exactly exactly. All right, here's a big one that happened over the weekend. Bronnie James has committed to USC. Did USC and you should like

come to Tucson next year? I don't know one of them. I don't know that we have the schedule yet, but we're still playing them, right, But I don't know. I remember it was always like the way the schedule like, yeah, we didn't always play UCLA and USC twice a year, right, I don't know what that is next year. I would hope, so, I mean obviously we would hope. So, um, but I don't know that. I don't think that's out. Yeah, I don't

think that's been determined yet. The schedule exists. I can tell you that it exists, but I know it's not public. I don't know that. You're the one who I don't know, but I can tell you that it exists. Okay, Well, you're the one that should be telling us whether or not to playing each other or if they're going to be in tucsons. I hope, I hope. So. I mean i'd like to think that you know, you still get USC and you and the UC yeah, you

know playing I wonder home at home next year. I wonder when the next time after this year, next time Arizon. I don't think Arizon will go out of their way to schedule USC because right it is, you know, everybody hopes, uh, you know that that series can continue to continue, can can continue to be played like that'd be fun to play at the summer game? Yeah against you sure, and you know, and play at home at home. I still say, play you know, twice a year,

uh, every year. He can't do that because they got to have their games. But they shouldn't they. I really do hope that that they do continue that, and I know everybody, I don't think they will. Everybody wants it, but I don't know. I don't think they will in football because yeah, but but the USC wouldn't go out of their way to schedule Arizona necessarily, right, But basketball, I would like to think, Yeah, you'd like to think that that would that would keep calling? All right,

all right, let's get we didn't even talk about Bronnie James. And what are you thinking? Yeah, I mean, have you seen him? He's a good player. He's not He's not like a when you think of a top ten kid out of high school. He's not necessarily what you would think. He's not going out there and scoring forty points on who mixtape. Right, he's a really really, really good basketball Okay, smart, he's an amazing defender. UM passes the ball. Well, he can't score,

he can shoot it, So he's he's he knows the game. Yeah, and I mean right yeah, well yeah, I mean rightly. So, I mean his dad is teaching him the game. You know when he's just a really good basketball. He's gonna be good on any team you put him on, and he's gonna make any team better probably. Yeah, he'll be one of you. He'll be a good player for us. Have you seen him? Oh No, he's a He's a fantastic three D wing. He's got a peer jump shot. His former is impeccable. Um, his IQ

is off the charts. He doesn't have his dad's athleticism, obviously, but who does, right, He's only six three compared to six eight or six? Yeah, his younger brother is eight or six. Yeah, they say his younger brother is really good. All right, I'd I'd like to see him right now. We'll see him, whether we see him on TV or see him here. We'll see him and that'll be kind of a spectacle moment. How do you think he'll handle that? Well, he's going to be

a spectacle now, I mean he'll he'll do well. He's been he's been in the spotlight since he was I don't know, years old. Have you seen I don't know if you've you've heard. We've talked about this a couple of times. That on three uh, that website that it has an nil value ranks all athletes seven million. He's like the number one a valued athlete you know, high school, college or whatever. His name is Lebron James. Yeah, like like he's Lebron James Junior. Yeah, so seven,

it's like seven point one. It's cool and I'm really glad he's going to college because that was the thing entirely. You hadn't heard anything on like who are his top schools? Like who's he taking a visit to get? No idea, right, I kind of I didn't really think about it. I was just kind of expecting, Oh, maybe he's gonna go play for um, going the g Leader or something and then going to US. I thought that was really cool. It's very cool. Probably his dad said, go

get started, man. Yeah, very good. Okay, good for us. All right. The NBA's all Rookie teams were announced today, with Benedict Matherin being named on the first team, which is weird because he didn't get named a finalist for Rookie of the Year. There's only three finalists. He was the fifth one. But he so he got the fifth most votes to

get Okay, so he just got slided in there. Okay, Well, good for Ben mather How good did you think he was going to be in the NBA after during his sophomore ye I said this is a potential star. Yeah, I was like, this is this is like another Anthony Edwards kind of guy where I think he could be that good. Okay, he's even bigger than Anthony Edwards. Maybe not quite the athlete is Anthony Edwards, but on that kind of trajerk. Did you see him play much this year?

Every Now, what did his game look like compared to what we saw here? What's doing here? Making shots? A good player? Just good good athletes. Okay, he's got an MV. And that was kind of the thing that Jody was going to talk about with Arizona players didn't have a ton of end guys with an NBA NBA game and he had an m game. Yeah, so all right, good for Ben Mattherw all right, And after twenty seven years since Rayal and played at Yukon, he finally received his blaster

degree this weekend. There you go and way to go. Guys have made a movie and he's got a degree, now, have you. I I like him. I don't know. I mean I knew he was a really good player. I mean he just one of those guys, but I never really saw him, you know, speak or and he's he goes on Dan Patrick all the time and he's great on there all the time. He talks about some cool stuff and very open, just talks about his you know, he was that guy who's kind of he was in the gap between like the

two eras of the NBA, right, Yeah, like he caught. He's at the end of like you know, the gross two thousands and whatever started at the beginning of the n Y Yeah. I like him. I've really I've really enjoyed watching him too. Again, just talks about some inside stuff that you know, there's some guys that go on some of these you know, they go talk shows or whatever, and they don't. You can tell

that they're holding a lot of stuff back what you just say. He just very frank, very comfortable in his skin, very comfortable talking about stuff that he saw and he did and stuff. So I really, I really enjoyed watching him, like you know who I like about it, Like Reggie Miller. I I could not see. Do you like Reggie Miller on TV? I do, a lot of people don't like him. I think he's saw it. I think he's for him. A lot of people can't stand it, a lot of I like him a lot, and I didn't like him,

and I had reason. I mean, I had personal experience with Reggie millercovering Pac twelve basketball when he was coming out of UCLA. The guy was a jerk and I couldn't stand him. And what I thought was that he took on the personality of Walt Hazard, his coach, who was one of the biggest dipwads ever to coach in Pac twelve. Can I say dip wad? Sure, okay, And he took on that personality. But over time, you know, and even early in the NBA, you know, he

did the choke thing and all that kind of stuff. He really he embraced the village, right, someone's got to be the village. Yeah, somebody, now, you know he's he's uh you know. I like him. I like him on on NBA telecast. I like him when he does talk shows. You know, he stopped and said hi to me at a at a at the regional in San Jose, um remember a few years ago. Now, he didn't remember him. I told him who I was. Yeah, he was kind of like, oh yeah, yeah, but he didn't

you know, you know who I was. But he stopped and talked to me, and you know, very pleasure. Here's the thing. A lot of like, here's the perfect example. Chris Rodgers. Okay, a lot of guys when they're playing their sport, they can be like the worst person ever, yeah, just ever. But when they stop and they can flip the switch. Great guy. Yeah, maybe he's one of those guys. Yeah, Like I played I played pickup basketball to Chris Rodgers a decent amount

of times. Oh my god, it was terrible playing with him. But then the game's over and you guys talking, Yeah, I don't know. Wow, you're kind of wired different when you're not just one of like like

a really good professional. All right, all right, let's go to the NFL with After rumors that the Commanders were trying to leader Andrew Luck kind of retirement, Coats Colts owner Jim Urzy made it clear that Andrew Luck is off limits, tweeting out yesterday and I quote, if any Belt team attempted to contact Andrew Luck or any associate of him to play for their franchise, it

would be a clear violation of the league's tampering policy. Well, are Luck is still under contract to the Cults, so nobody else can go get him. Although we're real quick, I gotta, I gotta read this because if you ever followed the Captain Andrew Luck twitter feeds, it was awesome when he was playing. So Captain Andrew Luck tweeted for the first time since in like

three years. Are these are the types of tweet Derris's mother, it warms my beard to write you A dispatch arrived at my home far within the Appellachians, stating on once again the topic of conversation inside the periodicals fascinating. I hope he received the basket of salted raccoon tos and lemon mouse cakes. Andrew, Well, you gotta love that. Whoever writes that is awesome. Anyway. Sorry, I haven't tweeted in over three years. Go back to that

Twitter feed and go back and read some of those little tweets. They are awesome. All right, let's take a break. We're gonna have Kenzie Foller coming on talking about PAC twelve softball tournament coming to Tucson. In a couple

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involving on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm your host, Jay Gonzalez. Steve Rivera has mentioned is out for one more day, slacking off somewhere. I think probably on his way back from Vegas. I've got my my son and partner, Adam Gonzalez, former sid at Arizona along with Devin helping us

out on the board and on the phone. We've got Kenzie Fowler, legendary pitcher from Arizona who also works for PAC TALF Networks, and we'll be covering some of the games at the PACTALF tournament being hosted by the University of Arizonas who wanted to get around here talk a bit about the tournament. Kenzie, Welcome to the show. Yeah, thanks for having me. It's a softball season, so let's talk all the softball, all softball, all day. So well, first of all, um, you got the tournament coming up.

It's a it's a it's a first time, it's a it's at Arizona. Appropriate lead Arizona struggling this year, but you know they're still in it. But let's first, you know, get into the tournament itself. What do you think about just the existence of this tournament. Would you have liked to have had something like this when you were playing? Who does it benefit and what? You know? Why? Why is it a good thing? Well? It has different answers as a fan and as a former player.

Kind of putting myself in that position because in the PAC twelve every team plays everyone in the regular season and you don't see that, and maybe other conferences that are a little bit bigger, like the Big ten or SEC or even the ACC. So if you would have told me as a player, you have to go face these teams again for another weekend, I would have said, no, thanks, I'm good, let's move on. But as a fan and as a broadcaster, I love it. I'm so excited. I

think it's been a way overdue. There's so many reasons you can get into why it's been a much needed addition for our conference, but I think the biggest one is to get the national stage and to get some extra eyes and talk about our sport in a different way, just like we are doing right now. Right So, I think the PAC twelves need some visibility. I

think they need a little bit more respect. It's one of the best conferences, if not the best conference, every single year, and I think a weekend like this weekend is going to be a great way to celebrate the tradition, the success and highlight the best players across the country. Is it Is it realistic to think that somebody who might not otherwise be in the tournament, in the NCAA tournament. Good, you know, can pull this off and you know, win and get a bid and that type of thing. Or

is it do you see this kind of going chuck? Um? You know it's interesting because you think about playing these teams and even like a team like Arizona who's been swept by a UCLA or Washington or Stanford. Um, you know, we have to play a team three times, okay, but if you just have to play a team once, I think it changes everything and everything is going to be completely different because it's like that March madness type of

field. Right is single elimination, which I think is the best thing that you could do in this type of scenario. Um. Not to not to throw down baseball too much, but I don't. I don't agree with the format of their tournament where it's double elimination and they don't include every team. I think that should be revisited. I think that hurts the sport for them in my opinion. So I love the fact that softball is every team is

in a single elimination and let's fight. Let's go for it and see what kind of upsets can happen because it's just one time seven innings see what can happen. Why is Arizona the perfect spot to host the first Pact of tournament? In your opinion, I think it's so important, Number one, that a place to host the first one where I'm sure there's going to be some things that you know, some kings just it's gonna not nothing to say it's

going to go wrong, but it's not going to be perfect. It's the first one, right, But I think it's so important that a place is accustomed to hosting tournaments, not only postseason tournaments where we've seen Arizona host Supers and Regionals almost every year, but regular season tournaments. Arizona is a place that just the event staff knows what to do, the marketing team knows what to do. Um, the field is durable that it's very used to having

four or five different teams on the field at a time. So I think it's it's very important to have a place that knows what they're doing and knows how to run a tournament correctly. The bonuses are the fan support. The bonuses are I think it's the best stadium on the West Coast by far, and good weather. So you put all those things together and it's a It's a no brainer. From your perspective, what's it kind of like being like close to the program in terms of like, you know, you played there,

you work as a video Can I call you video producer? Sure? Yes, you can as a video producer working the PacTel networks. I guess what's it kind of like being around PacTel softball and airs On Softball. Just from your perspective, I love it. I love what I'm able to do. I love how I've been able to stay around this sport. Softball has been passion of minds. I could throw a ball around four or five years old. So I love being able to be around this sport in different aspects,

being around the athletes. I love being able to call games. I wish I could do it full time. I wish our sport was full time, but um, you know, from February to June, I stay very busy and then um working my full time job here AARs on Athletics covering our Olympic sports. But I love any aspect I can stay around the sport of

sofwol, and especially in my alma mater Intis. I did have to tell my dad when he was explaining kind of to the listeners who you are, I said, and she's an unreal video producer and helped me a ton of thank Yeah, Adam. Adam and I have collabed in his former life a couple of times with some women's basketball highlight videos. Well say, that's the thing, and I, you know, I I don't know why can see, but I thought you were like living in southern California because and maybe because

you're working with Pac twelve networks and stuff. And he said, oh, she's here, And I'm like, okay, great, so so awesome that you're you know that you're tied to this. So let's talk a little bit about the tournament itself. You got UCLA who's coming in. They're really really good. Uh, you know a lot of good teams, as they're always are in the Pac twelve. But first of all, you know how good is UCLA, and you know who's got a shot at them? I on

paper and watching them in person. You know, in our sport, we're in a really interesting place because, on one hand, I will tell you that I think the sport has seen more parody across the board, across the country with different conferences mid majors, you name it. I think the talent is it's way more balanced than we've ever seen it. Yet. While that's all happening, we've had this team called Oklahoma. I don't know if you've heard of them, but they just have an absolute hold on our sport right

now. And it's like Yukon women's basketball in their heyday Alabama football, and we're just in that period where Oklahoma softball is b team to beat and right now they just will not be denied. So I think UCLA is one of a handful of teams that on paper, seeing them in person, seeing the talent, they have the ability to go punch for punch with Oklahoma. Can they beat them twice? I don't know, but they can definitely to beat

them once and that's for sure saying something. So they've been the most dominant team in the Paxtwealth Conference by far. I think they will sweep up the awards whenever those are announced, probably Wednesday morning. I'm guessing they're going to have the pitcher of the Year, the Player of the Year, in the Freshman of the Year, maybe a co Freshman of the Year on their team. And outside of UCLA, there are some really other good teams that are

taking games from UCLA. Washington has taken a game from VCLA, CAW has taken a game from UCLA. Stanford's played them tight. So talking about what we were talking about before anyone can be anyone one not to say that Lee still isn't the best team, but just one time you can do it. Would you be surprised if anybody but UCLA wins this thing? Or you're saying what you just said that anybody can lose once. I mean, what do you think? Oh, I think it's very open not to say that I

still think l is the best team. But we're talking striking while we're hot. I think a team like Washington, I think they're playing some of their best softball all season long. Their pitchers looked really sharp last weekend. Um. I think Utah Utah came up in Eugene last weekend and swept Oregon, who had been playing some of their best softball, threw a no hitter on Sunday. Um. And then you can never counot Stanford. Stanford, in my opinion, as a as a staff, have the best pitching staff,

the strongest arms one through four. Well, you can see four different pictures and they're all very ace quality. So those are some teams that you just kind of keep your eye on, and, um, you never know what can happen, but you know, talent wise and resume wise, they're there. So unfortunately for Arizona, they're in a position where they're hosting the tournament, but they've not had a very good year. They're in the play in game. Uh, you know, they couldn't. They could be gone after

one game or two games or whatever. But you know, it's been a tough year for Kaitlin Lowe and and the group over at at Arizona. What have you seen? What what are your thoughts on what's going on over there and why the struggles this year? Um, I mean you could look at different things at different points in the season, but I think just big picture wise, they're very young. I was watching them this weekend play calin Sunday

and I looked down into the field and their entire outfield was freshman. They had a freshman DP, they had a freshman shortstop, and a freshman in the circle. So, um, they're incredibly young, and they've been hampered by some injuries. Of course, they lost call it Carley scooping forward the probably the biggest part of that Pack twelve stretch with a broken wrist or form

I can't remember, um so that that hurt. And losing Sofia Carroll in the middle of the season, who decided to just step away for the season. That's losing or starting shortstops. So there, you know a couple of

adversity things to go through. And then just looking at the stats and the numbers and the earra is going to be inflated there from the pictures this season, you know they've had a hard time at times shutting the Pack twelve hitters down, and it's it's hard to do because in my opinion as a as an analyst, where I'm calling different games in different conferences, so I get to kind of see the scope of everything. The past twelve by far has

the best hitters. Yeah, I think some other conferences might have some better pitching as a whole, but the hitting right now is dominant in the Pac twelve. So it's a hard conference this season to be a pitcher. And Arizona, unfortunately for them, they were in so many ballgames where they just weren't able to get one key hit or or give up one less home run where you can steal a game two and not get swept and still get those

RPI points against those big time teams. If you're if you're encouraging fans to come out to the tournament, you know, what do you say to them about, you know, coming out and what they'll get to see in a good reason to come out to the tournament. Oh, I'm so glad you asked me this because I've been thinking about it earlier this week. Should I tweet something like and I'll call the Tucson and rally all the fans because it's a very big deal that Arizona and Tucson and Hill and Brand is hosting the

first packball tournament. This is something that is unprecedented. It's never been done, and so it needs to be done right. And I think it's a great opportunity for our community, our Tuson community, to come out and celebrate softball, whether that's you know, of course cheering on Arizona. We want them to do as good as they can. But outside that, there's going

to be plenty of other games that are going to be played. And I'm if you're if you're thinking about it, if you're hesitant about coming out, please come out and support women's softball, support this sport and the conference as a whole, and the softball I can guarantee you is going to be It's going to be electric. The talent, the single elimination factor. I think it's just going to be must watch. Um. If you can't come in

person, of course, tune in on TV. But I would just love to see the community show up and kind of make a statement like, look, how look how much we love softball in this city. And you know, another aspect about that, if if the community shows up and the fans are in full attendance, you think that's going to help recruits that are watching maybe on the fence about coming to Arizona. Absolutely, So just a little something to keep in man, keep in mind for Arizona fans coming out and

watching some softball. And here's the thing. I think, at its roots, Tucson is a bat and ball town, a baseball and softball town, and so yeah, I can. I think there's a real chance no matter who's playing whatever game, there will be good crowds. I mean all these I mean, you played youth softball, you're my wife played softball, you're my sister, Like it's crazy, yeah, yep, yeah. And it's

a great opportunity to see some different players. Kind of take yourself out of that Arizona fandom, if you will, and kind of just observe the other players, because there are some huge names you want to talk about. Maya Brady, the niece of Tom Brady, probably going to be Packed twelve Player of the Year. Bailey Klingler, she's in her senior season. She was last year's Pack twelve Player of the Year. She'll probably be in the running

for USA Softball Player of the Year. Megan Framo's in her last season as a Pact Twelves pitcher U the Utah team. There's a couple of home homegrown talent on Utah's team. Alissa Bomstrom is one of the best hitters in the Pac twelve and she's from Toothon. So there's so many opportunities that come out and just watch some really talented ladies and yeah, I think you're I think

you're right on. I think this is a baton ball town and um and I will say I will also shout out the fans because I know there has been the struggles for Arizona. I've been really impressed with the fan support and the consistent attendant. So applaud everyone that's continued to come out and support this

program and supports us. All right, Well, that's a Kensey Fowler talking about the PAC twelve softball term and it starts Wednesday with the play in game Arizona against a SU at six o'clock and then a full day of games on Thursday, four games starting at ten o'clock in the morning. If Arizona were to win, they would play UCLA at four o'clock in the afternoon. Which

games? Which games do you have coming up? I will have the morning doubleheader on Thursday, so I will have Oregon State versus Cal and A Washington versus Oh gosh, it's Utah, Cal, Washington, Oregon State. Yes, yes, yes, so you take Washington organ State. I got the brackets, so you know, but you were than like, it's those four teams. I'm setting them out evenly. I'll figure out who's playing the next

day. There you go, there you go. All right, Kensy, appreciate you doing this kind of a last minute interview, but I'm I'm glad you were able to do it. And uh I look forward to either watching you or seeing you out at the out at the tournament. So thanks a whole bunch awesome. Thanks guys. All Right, those kensie fother form Arizona picture. We'll be calling some games for the PAC twelve networks this week. I agree with her. You know, first of all, two Sunday is

a softball town. It's a baseball town as well. You know, she mentioned that not only you know, yeah you want to come out, you want to see Arizona plate, but all of these teams have players from Tucson all over the place. There's there's so many players around the country. Yeah, you'd hope that the fans would come out, and even just because Arizona maybe maybe they don't last till Thursday or Friday or whenever, get out there

and watch. Let's say the PAC twelve tournament was ten fifteen years ago. Are you taking Alana yeah to the Oregon Oregon State game? Yeah, way not absolutely, Yeah, Yeah, you want the you know, there's so much softball here that it's such a big deal that you do. You want these girls to come out and see how some of these girls compete and there and they're I mean these teams are really good. It's it's a level of softball that that not everybody gets. I mean, it's gonna be College World

Series, right. Okay, let's take our last break. We'll take your costs five two zero, four, one, six, seventy four forty. We'll talk about anything you want to if you want to go back to the Suns, if you want to talk about some softball coming up, A lot of whole a whole lot of other things going on out there. So we'll be right back. If you're an Arizona man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for newly forty years. Now take a look back at the Ludolson

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at a Team security dot net. Steve Ravera and Jacob Solids they have their Eye on the ball on Tucson Sports station Fox Sports fourteen fifty Welcome back to in the ballinga Fox Sports fourteen fifty am, your host, Jay Gonzalez, and Steve is out for one more segment and he'll be back tomorrow. I have Adam Gonzalez here, former SID sports information director at Arizona, covered football, women's basketball. He was on the Final four crew, among other things

over there. And then I've got Devin, who's I just found out it's his last day with us for the summer. Devin's a junior at Arizona, finishing up his finals and he goes home for the summer. And then you'll be back. You will be back in the fall, right, we'll be back, all right, So Devin will be joining us back when school gets started again. But uh, we're gonna say goodbye to Devin here. And then we've got Jason who'll be here for I think three days out of the

week during the summer. He lives here and so he'll he'll stick around. And Noah, as we said goodbye to him last Friday, he's out of here and he's from Phoenix, so's he'll be leaving for the summer as well. So it'd be a little different over here for the summer. But you know, we'll have some guys around to help us make sure we don't screw

up our show every single day. So anyways, um, good conversation with Kenzie Fowler talking about the upcoming tournament pacton Pac twelve PAC twelve Softball tournament being hosted by the while Arizona at Hill and Brandon. It just should be a lot of fun. Yeah, softball tournaments are fun. I enjoyed every time I wish and if yeah, and I do it tent. They made a good point because you know, when you think about you get to this time of the year, arms are tired, bodies are tired. You know.

The the men's tournament has a different format where you're gonna play two games over a three day period. It's a it's a round robin thing within a unit. And then you get into a brand you're brought out. Yeah like softball.

Yeah, so fast paved, single animation tournaments go out there, play a game, onto the next right and so you're if you're if if you're not in the playing tournament, you win three games, you can't win the twa for instance, if you if you go to the College World Series and you win the College World Series where you play in the you're there for like two weeks. Yeah, Like I went on the last trip when you win Arizona went and that twenty one and I was like, I don't any I

was just coming off the final form. I was there for nineteen days. I was like, I said yes to this because I've always wanted to go to a one time. I don't know if I'm to stay, yeah for two weeks. Yeah, yeah, it's become a it's become a such a long tournament. Yeah. I mean it was very cool. Any sort of baseball fan I would recommend make an appearance. Yeah, awesome stadium. It's a really cool town. Yeah. Yeah. Well, well that was the

one thing that one of the one of the few. I don't know if i'd call him regrets because it was something I regretted because it was something that I did. But I wanted to cover a college World Series. I had I had covered a Final four, I had covered a National championship football game up at the Fiesta Bowl. Um, you know, I wanted to cover a college World Series. And in the eighty nine team um was you know one the one that the Scots team that was a Scott Erikson team. Scott

Erkson, Lance Dixon JT. Snow Uh, Trevor Hoffman, Alan Zinter, I mean, just Kevin Long, all guys who played, who played and or coached in the major leagues. I mean, it was just a huge team, hands down favorite to win the regional that Arizona was hosting. And that was back you hosted a regional. There were eight regionals and the eight regional winners. It's like Super went to the World Series. Yeah, but it was it was it was still fourteen. It was a it was an

eight team double elimination tournament. No, it's a four team double nation turnam. Yeah, four team double nation tournament, so only thirty two teams got in the gut in the tournament, four team double nation tournament. You win your regional, you're in the College World Series. Arizona's hosting a regional, hands down favorite. Scott Erickson was eighteen and one or something like that going into the tournament. Guy played pitch for the Orioles and among other teams,

and they got beat. Long Beach Steak came in here and won the regional and took off to the College World Series. I mean, I thought, if Arizona gets in the College World Series, they're gonna win the College World Series and then they didn't even get there, and it was just it was a terrible thing. And then they were really bad the next year. The news they made was the baseball team this year broke the losing streak record that that team had in nineteen ninety and so that was that was not a fun

year in ninety. So, um, you know, highly unfortunate. So I I really wanted to go to a college World Series. Cool, it's a very it's it's a cool deal. M The stadium is pretty unbelievable. Yeah, it's a big league stum. Yeah, not not in this stands. They're yeah, well it's not as big a stadium, but it's no, it's huge, but it's not like a but it's not like a Camden Yard or something. But it's sure it's twenty thousand or something like something like.

It doesn't have any many stands in the field, right, but like in terms of facility, oh, it's so nice. Yeah, it's so nice. Yeah. No, So that was one of those things that I wish I had I had had a chance to do it, and I thought I was gonna have a chance to do and then did Now that that would have been in the old stadium, which had its own charm. Right it was on the old minor league ballparks. But people loved it. In fact, when they talked about knocking it down and building a new stadium, there's

some people saying, we love this stadium. Why why would you do that? Dude? Just you know the purest right, the people who love the old stuff. This one is really cool. Yeah, so well we'll see um. But anyways, again, just the thing that I missed, but look, this is still an opportunity for Arizonner to make a last stand in the softball tournament. You win this tournament, you you move on. It happens all the time they did basketball, not right Princeton. Why I was

talking that, I was talking conference championship. That gets hot, Infernament gets hot and goes to the Well, I'm just saying that, anybody, can you know in Florida, Atlantic, you know at was different. They were good, They were really good. They were really good. They're right, they're right there. There's a lot of those early UH rankings for next year have come out and have them still in the top. Atlantic was ranked in

the top twenty five entering the tournament. Yeah, so they're gonna there's a lot of them have them in the top ten going into next year, so I don't know. Um. Interesting note Brian Peterson speaking of basketball. Brian Peterson from as Desert swarm A listed the number of with the men's basketball transfer portal closing on Thursday as of today. You know, people think that all

these guys left Arizona, All these guys left Arizona. Well, five players left Arizona that includes walk ons, so we know the one big, big one was Kirk Crissa adamald Ball left so five UCLA had zero, Oregon State, Stanford USC had four, then Arizona and Utah come along with five. Cal had nine, ASU had eight, Colorado and Oregon had seven, Washington had nine. It's a lot of guys leaving a program that rually only has thirteen fourteen guys. So Colorado is not gonna have an athletic department. So

did player trains for now? Yeah, I mean I'm kidding. Well, I did see it. I did see well. I did see a note that that Dion sand and the back and the football team is back up to fifty nine scholarship players in house, but only I think twelve of those were there last year. So he's just gonnat and just flipped this whole thing over. Um. You know. Another one of the conversations I saw as it related to that was that this only could have been done with somebody like Deon

Sanders. If it had been some other obscure coach that nobody knows or whatever, had he tried to do this, people would have lost their minds. But because it's Dion Sanders, he sort of gets a pass. Yeah. And I don't know, we'll see, like because when you look back at it, like if you just take out the name Deon Sanders, he coached uh jack the state, that's it. Yep, that's it, right, that's it. You never he hasn't coached fps right, I don't know.

I have no idea. It's a it's a whole different animal. Well. The the the the over under on on Colorado's win, uh all of college football came out last week, and I think the over under on Colorado was three, half three and a half three. Let me look this up real quick. Um, Colorado came in at three. I don't like that, you know, I wouldn't. I don't think they're I don't think they're gonna

get four, but three you don't win. You you know, you push the bet if it's if it's two and a half, I might take it. If it's three. Here's the thing. Here's the thing. Colorado is either gonna win two or three games. They're gonna go to or right. And that's what I said on Friday. I said, they're either gonna win a bunch because they're gonna be good, or they're just gonna completely suck. It's either gonna work spectacularly right one that's one of them. The other that

they're not gonna be a middling team. That's how I think. That's what I think too. I think they're or you know, it's gonna take it's gonna take them to the end of the season to kind of come together. But by that time they like I don't want and said, I don't I don't see them having an Arizona season that Arizona had this past year, Oh, flipping from one and eleven to five. I don't see that. Yeah, Like they're either gonna be No, there's gonna be like better than that,

like seven or eight wins games. Well, there was I saw another thing and said that the most eight percent of the future's bets on the national championship in Colorado. Colorado. Sure there because they loved that, because there are twenty five thousand to one odds. Sure the books love that they do well, that's what they well. Some one of the replies I started that when did you just set your money on fire? It's all gonna depend on

I mean, I can't say I've seen Dion's kid play quarterback. It's all gonna depend on if he's played at Jackson State. I'm saying, one season at Jackson State, how good is he going to be? Right? Or is it just he's a he's a sophomore, is he not? I think? I think? I think you're right. Yeah, it's me a lot different than playing against Utah's defensive line Arizona's at five and a half. What do you think over Over? I think over too, Devin Over, I

sure hope over They have some better players, Yeah they're there. They keep reloading on good players. Yeah, yeah, and their defense has to be better, doesn't It doesn't thing have to be. It doesn't have to be, but probably will. There's there's better players. Should it get worse? In the words of Andy Lopez, Hold on, hold on, hold on, just trust me here, it gets worse. It will get worse, I promise you. So don't be too sad about it, because it will

get worse. No. I think they'll be better because they have better I mean having justin flow in there. He's he's a good dude. I saw him and seeing him like without pads on. Yeah, oh my god, relax, No, no, oh my god. I'm like, dude is twenty twenty one years old, baby, and I'm like, how does a hard does a guy get like that in that short amount of time. No, I I think they'll be better. Um, another year in the system, another year Jed, another year for under Jed's belt. Yea, he's

only gonna get better. Yep. A s was at five under. Yeah yeah, not just because it's a just because you think, I mean, it's it's it's it's like Arizona was a couple years ago when they hired the jedist. I mean, I don't know if Kenny Dilling him is a good head coach. Yeah, call is at four and a half. I can't I could not comment. I have no idea. Okay, as a usc over usc Oregon, usc over, I don't care. What are all nine and a half USC's going to college football playoff? I think so yeah,

I'm mean Caleb Williams is unbelievable. He would have been he would have been the number one pick this year. Yeah, number one pick. He's so good. What about Washington? I almost think Michael Panics is better and Caleb Williams can do more things? No? What, yep, you have a radio show, Come on, people listen to you. People listen to you, and you threw that out there. Take bad take No. I like

Michael Pennis. I do too, IVERY think Caleb. I look, I saw both of those games, and I thought I thought Michael Panics is better. Caleb Williams won the Heisman. I know he won. I know he won the Heisman. I'm more scared of Michael Panics than I am of Caleb Williams. And Jay's eye test, yeah my eye test. Okay, I on the ball. Yeah you go all right, uh okay, all right, well we'll see. I don't know, but look he's still really good. Oh yeah, right, And they've gotten all these transfers. People are

coming to us. Top players are coming more, top players are coming to USC. They're going to a big ten. Yeah, the thing Caleb Williams and the Heisman. I think they're gonna be really good, all right, which is fun usc being good as fun it is it is, and then they're gonna leave jerks. All right, that's it. Uh, sorry, um Adam, thanks for being here, appreciate it's always fun to be here. Devin. Thanks for all the work you've done for us this uh this

school year, and happy to have you back in the fall. Thanks for being here today, especially because we were going solo and it was that's never good. So thank you for all that. I hope you've had fun and you'll come back. And what would you have said if you were just by yourself in here? What are you? What are you going to talk about? I probably would have canceled the show, I said, I'm not doing that, though. It would have been a spectacle either way. No,

I'm not. I'm known what I would have done. It wouldn't have been fun though, and it wouldn't have been pretty and it would have been hard. So but I didn't have to do it all by myself. So all right, Steve, we'll be back tomorrow, so we'll have We'll be back with some more great guests. We got stuff to more stuff to talk about this week. Looking to drag get John Wilner on later in the week to get some into some PAC twelve news. So be sure to come back and we will see you tomorrow

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