When the Mexican Baseball Fiesta wraps up its four-day event at Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in October, which kicks off the Mexican Pacific Winter League season, one of the teams won’t have to return to Mexico.
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Mexican Baseball Fiesta paved the way for Tucson's new team
When the Mexican Baseball Fiesta wraps up its four-day event at Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in October, which kicks off the Mexican Pacific Winter League season, one of the teams won’t have to return to Mexico. Tucson is set to have a team from the Mexican Pacific Winter League, also known as Liga ARCO Mexican […]

Tucson is set to have a team from the Mexican Pacific Winter League, also known as Liga ARCO Mexican del Pacifico (LAMP), for the upcoming season, the first non-independent professional team to call the Old Pueblo home since 2013, when the Tucson Padres, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, moved to El Paso in 2013.
Tucson was also a longtime home to other minor-league franchises, including the Tucson Toros (Houston Astros) and Tucson Sidewinders (Arizona Diamondbacks), which played its last season in 2008.
Last week, Mayos de Navojoa announced its plans for the Sonoran team to relocate to Tucson, becoming the first U.S.-based team in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, which has 10 teams and was founded in 1945. The Mexican Pacific Winter League has seen several MLB standouts, including Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the late Ricky Henderson, Robinson Canó and former Arizona Diamondback Yasmany Tomás, among others. Valenzuela and Henderson both played for Mayos de Navojoa.
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Mayos de Navojoa, a regular participant in the Mexican Baseball Fiesta at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, are relocating to Tucson and will play at Kino full time.
For Tucson’s inaugural season, similarly to the NFL’s Washington Commanders and the NHL’s Utah Mammoth, the franchise will be known as “Tucson Baseball Team,” and fans will have an opportunity in the future to vote on a team name for the second season and beyond.
An official media event to welcome the franchise to Tucson will be in June, and the first official home game at Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium is slated for Oct. 16. The Mexican Pacific Winter League’s 68-game regular season starts in October and ends in late December, with the postseason in January. The champion will play in the Caribbean Series, an annual tournament with the top teams from leagues in Latin America.
Mexican Baseball Fiesta co-founder Francisco Gamez, who started the Mexican Baseball Fiesta in 2011, was a pitcher for Mayos de Navojoa’s last championship team in 2000.
Landing a Mexican Pacific Winter League team “was a dream come true for me and the Mexican Baseball Fiesta,” said Mexican Baseball Fiesta CEO Frank Gamez, the son of Francisco Gamez.
“We’ve been paving the way, hoping that was something we gain from doing the Fiesta,” said the younger Gamez.
Mayos de Navojoa third baseman takes it on the chin fielding a hopping ground ball by a Mexicali batter off his glove at the Vamos a Tucson Mexican Baseball Fiesta, Tucson, Ariz., October 3, 2021.
In recent years, the Mexican Baseball Fiesta has drawn an average of 20,000-22,000 people over four days. Coupled with the World Baseball Classic qualifiers earlier this year, along with the Mexican Pacific Winter League hosting its international series between Yaquis de Obregón and Águilas de Mexicali, Tucson’s baseball events in the wake of minor-league baseball and MLB Spring Training leaving “showed that the Tucson community is hungry for baseball,” Gamez said.
“There is no question about a fanbase in Tucson, because we’ve been working — at least the hispanic side of the fanbase — heavily with the Mexican Baseball Fiesta,” Gamez said. “When teams looked at us and said, ‘Hey, can we go? Is this something that can happen? Is this something we can do?’ For us, we had all the cards on the table.”
Gamez recently joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson to discuss the influence of Mexican Baseball Fiesta, team names and Tucson’s team becoming America’s team. Here’s part of that interview:
How did all of this happen?
A: “We’ve been bringing the team that is moving, Navojoa, throughout our whole (Mexican Baseball Fiesta) history. My dad, Francisco Gamez, played for Navojoa the year of their last championship. I lived in Navojoa and my dad played there, so it’s a beautiful circle. We’ve been working with them and they’ve trusted us, especially early on when it was just three or four teams (in the Mexican Baseball Fiesta). That has been fostering in Mexico. … We’ve been hearing about baseball coming back to Tucson, and we were like, ‘Hey, we’re the baseball people. What’s going on? We want to be involved.’ That led to the World Baseball Classic qualifiers.
“As we were taking the next step, Tucson took the next step. … Part of it is the momentum of the Mexican Baseball Fiesta and another part is the hunger that Tucson has for baseball. It was the perfect storm and it made people interested in the Tucson market.”
Obregon shortstop JC Gamboa, left, puts the awkward tag on the stolen base attempt by Jalisco’s Billy Hamilton’s, ending the fifth inning of their matchup on the opening night of the 2024 Mexican Baseball Fiesta at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Oct. 3.
How much influence do you think the Mexican Baseball Fiesta had in bringing a team to the U.S. and Tucson?
A: “I think we had an influence. Tucson is a great geographical location when it comes to the Mexican Pacific Winter League. Where it is, it keeps everything within a drivable distance. But this (opportunity) would be years down the road if we didn’t pave the road with Mexican Baseball Fiesta. … It definitely expedited the process. To them, to me, to people involved, it has promise, but it would’ve taken a longer time for this to happen.
“We have a proven concept for the preseason that excites us to have the whole winter and bring baseball back and have a team that wants to win, stay here and win championships. From a competitive side, that’s what gets me excited.”
Pima County spent $1.12 million — $700,000 for a video board and $425,000 for a new playing surface — on renovations for Kino Veteran’s Memorial Stadium leading up to the World Baseball Classic qualifiers. How does the stadium stack up against other venues in the league?
A: “Now that it has a video board and beautiful grass, it looks ready and good to go. A lot of stadiums in Mexico have two or three video boards. Now that we have one, it’s the perfect start to put a team (in Tucson) and create noise around Kino. In two or three years, we’ll have another (video board).”
Mexicali’s mascot Lucho appears to pick the pocket of a fan after giving him a big hug during their game against Los Mochis in the Mexican Baseball Fiesta, Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, in Tucson.
Any leads on team names?
A: “We had some names and we’re really excited about those, but the idea is we want to involve the community. When we bring it to Tucson, we don’t want it to be called something else and Tucson follows us. … We started with Spanish names and we’re trying to find something that’s in the lingo. It’s something that’s easily said for the general market and Americans. It’s Tucson, so the Spanish influence is heavy, but if we get too fancy with it, it could get changed.”
With Tucson having the only U.S.-based team in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, it’s akin to the Toronto Blue Jays as the only Canadian team in MLB. How will the American dimension affect the league?
A: “We made that analogy when we were talking to a group of people to try and get them excited, because that is literally what it’s going to be like. … What we really want to do for the team is make it their own and make it a Tucson thing. For the Blue Jays, even though it’s MLB, when you go to Toronto, that’s their team. That’s what we want to do.
“We want to make this about Tucson. There’s enough culture blend and I think it’s a beautiful melting pot here. Living here in Tucson, you don’t see those lines when it switches from one community to another, it’s a mix. That’s something I’ve always loved here. We want people to resonate with it.”
Contact Justin Spears, the Star’s Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
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NCAA Track And Field National Championship Photo Gallery
The NCAA Track and Field Championships began on June 11 with the start of the men’s track and field meet and ended on June June 14 with the final women’s races as new champions were crowned to end the 2025 college track season. Hundreds of athletes over dozens of events competed for championships and FloTrack shot […]

The NCAA Track and Field Championships began on June 11 with the start of the men’s track and field meet and ended on June June 14 with the final women’s races as new champions were crowned to end the 2025 college track season.
Hundreds of athletes over dozens of events competed for championships and FloTrack shot the action all week long.
Take a look at the latest photos from the NCAA Track and Field Championship.
NCAA Track And Field National Championship 2025 Photo Gallery
All photos by Andrew Brown for FloTrack
FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year
Don’t miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.
FloTrack Archived Footage
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
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Asaah Wraps Competition at NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships
Story Links EUGENE, Ore. – Penn junior Angeludi Asaah wrapped up competition on Saturday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing 23rd in the women’s discus. Asaah earned Honorable Mention All-America honors recording a second round mark of 50.33m (165′ 1″). NCAA Outdoor Championships Eugene, Ore. June 14 Penn Women – […]

EUGENE, Ore. – Penn junior Angeludi Asaah wrapped up competition on Saturday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing 23rd in the women’s discus.
Asaah earned Honorable Mention All-America honors recording a second round mark of 50.33m (165′ 1″).
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Eugene, Ore.
June 14
Penn Women – Results
Discus
23. Angeludi Asaah – 50.33m (165′ 1″) *Honorable Mention All-American
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American Athletes Wrap Up 2025 NCAA Track & Field Championship; South Florida Captures Men’s 4×400 National Title
Story Links EUGENE, Ore. – American Athletic Conference track & field athletes wrapped up competition at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday with 11 student-athletes earning First Team All-American honors, including the South Florida Bulls 4×400 relay team winning the national championship in the event. The […]
EUGENE, Ore. – American Athletic Conference track & field athletes wrapped up competition at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday with 11 student-athletes earning First Team All-American honors, including the South Florida Bulls 4×400 relay team winning the national championship in the event.
The South Florida Bulls finished with ten First Team All-Americans in the championships, which included the first 4×400 relay winning the programs first national title. The team of Devontie Archer, Alexavier Monfries, Corey Ottey and Cabriel Moronta delivered the win with a time of 3:00.42. The Bulls become the first American team to win the national title in the 4×400 relay.
“This is a monumental moment for our program and these young men earned every bit of it,” said USF Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Erik Jenkins. “They ran with heart, poise and purpose on the biggest stage in collegiate track and field. To bring home our first national title and place among the nation’s top teams is a testament to the commitment and character of our entire group.”
The Bulls’ 4×100 relay team all captured first team honors, placing fourth place with a time of 38.73 seconds feature the team of Shomari Pettigrew, Jaleel Croal, Monfries and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu. Saminu added a second first-team honor in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.55 seconds.
In field events, Vincent Ugwoke earned First-Team All-American honors with a seventh-place finish in the discus throw, recording a mark of 60.58 meters (198-9).
Overall, South Florida totaled 18 points to finish 14th in the final team standings.
Rice’s McKyla Van Der Westhuizen earned the final First-Team All-American honor with a seventh place finish in women’s javelin, with a mark of 56.65 meters.
East Carolina
Kelly Ufodiama (W)
100m – 22nd place, 11.41 (Honorable Mention All-American)
200m – 11th place, 22.61 (Second Team All-American)
Memphis
Gabriel Koletsi (M), Javelin – 18th Place, 65.69m (Honorable Mention All-American)
Rice
Jack Greaves (M), Javelin – 16th Place, 67.38m (Second Team All-American)
Alice Taylor (W) – High Jump – 23rd place, 1.74m (Honorable Mention All-American)
McKyla Van Der Westhuizen (W), Javelin – 7th place, 56.65m (First Team All-American)
South Florida
Jaleel Croal (M)
100m – 23rd place, 10.38 (Honorable Mention All-American)
200m – 15th place, 20.58 (Second Team All-American)
4×100 relay – 4th place, 38.12 (First Team All-American)
Nathan Metelus (M), 4×400 relay – 1st place, 3:00.42 (First Team All-American)
Alexavier Monfries (M)
4x100m relay– 4thplace, 38.12 (First Team All-American)
4×400 relay – 1st place, 3:00.42 (First Team All-American)
Gabriel Moronta (M)
400m – DQ
4×400 relay – 1st place, 3:00.42 (First Team All-American)
Corey Ottey (M), 4×400 relay – 1st place, 3:00.42 (First Team All-American)
Shomari Pettigrew (M), 4×100 relay – 4th place, 38.12 (First Team All-American)
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (M)
100m – 10th place, 10.11 (Second Team All-American)
200m – 8th place, 20.55 (First Team All-American)
4x100m relay– 4th place, 38.12 (First Team All-American)
Vincent Ugwoke (M), Discus – 7th place, 60.58m (First Team All-American)
Tulane
Bernard Cheruiyot (M), 10,000m – 18th place, 29:24.80 (Honorable Mention All-American)
Silas Kiptanui (M), 3000m Steeplechase – 10th place, 8:32.20 (Second Team All-American)
UTSA
Mia Lien (W), Heptathlon – 13th place, 5,648 points (Second Team All-American)
Hugo Menin (M), 400mH – 17th place, 50.98 (Honorable Mention All-American)
Rachela Pace (W), Triple Jump – 16th place, 12.92m (Second Team All-American)
Wichita State
Joakim Genereux (M), 4×400 relay – 23rd place, 3:10.61 (Honorable Mention All-American)
Yared Kidane (M)
800m – 10th place, 1:46.86 (Second Team All-American)
4×400 relay – 23rd place, 3:10.61 (Honorable Mention All-American)
Destiny Masters (W), Heptathlon – 10th place, 5,763 points (Second Team All-American)
Jason Parrish (M)
400mH – 10th place, 50.24 (Second Team All-American)
4×400 relay – 23rd place, 3:10.61 (Honorable Mention All-American)
Josh Parrish (M)
110mH – 19th place, 13.68 (Honorable Mention All-American)
4×400 relay – 23rd place, 3:10.61 (Honorable Mention All-American)
Sports
Water polo players fall short at the start of the World Cup
The start of the World Championship was not good for young Montenegrin water polo players. Our U20 selection opened the planetary championship in Zagreb with a convincing defeat to Hungary – it was 18:10. The question of the winner was not raised since halftime, as the Hungarians, with a furious game in the second half […]

The start of the World Championship was not good for young Montenegrin water polo players. Our U20 selection opened the planetary championship in Zagreb with a convincing defeat to Hungary – it was 18:10.
The question of the winner was not raised since halftime, as the Hungarians, with a furious game in the second half of the second quarter, escaped to an unattainable 11:5…
The opening half was goal for goal, with Montenegro taking the lead through Srđan Janović in a man-up attack. It was then 2:1 and 3:2 for Aleksandar Aleksić’s team, who allowed their rival to take a 3:0 series to reach plus two (5:3).
Janović later reduced the score to 5:4 and it was the last moment in which our national team was in the game, as Hungary reached a 10:4 lead in three and a half minutes. The rival had the biggest advantage with three and a half minutes left in the match, when they took a 17:8 lead.
Janović and Danilo Stupar were the most efficient in the Montenegrin team with three goals each, Milan Nikaljević scored two, and Ilija Kojičić and Nikola Petrović scored one each. The best individual for the Hungarians was Oliver Lejnweber with five goals.
On Sunday (19 pm), Montenegro will face a new derby against host Croatia, and on Monday (17.30:XNUMX pm) a match against the United States of America.
Montenegro is in Group A, while four teams make up Group B – Greece, Serbia, Italy and Spain. The other 12 national teams are divided into four groups of three teams each.
From Groups A and B, all teams advance – the top two teams from each group advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the third- and fourth-place teams will play for a place among the top eight with teams from Groups C, D, E and F.
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Sports
University of St John’s
EUGENE, Ore. – St. John’s standout thrower Jamora Alves finished 19th in the country in the discus competition at the 2025 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., to earn All-American Honorable Mention recognition. Alves recorded her best finish at the National Finals to earn her second USTFCCCA All-America Honorable Mention nod of her […]

Alves recorded her best finish at the National Finals to earn her second USTFCCCA All-America Honorable Mention nod of her career after finishing 22nd in the discus event in 2023. It marks the third straight year the Johnnies have had an All-America Honorable Mention selection after Nora Haugen placed 19th in the 800-meter run last year. She becomes the first multi-time All-American since Claire Mooney in 2016.
During Saturday’s competition, Alves launched her best throw of the day in her second of three attempts heaving the disc 52.60-meters. Fresno State’s Cierra Jackson took home the national title with a toss of 65.82 meters.
Alves finishes her impressive junior campaign as the BIG EAST’s Most Outstanding Performer, an all-conference selection and a top-20 thrower in NCAA Division I.
Sports
Victoria Cameron notches Second Team All-American honors in 100 at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships
Story Links EUGENE, Oregon — Victoria Cameron became the fifth Texan to earn All-American status on the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships at Hayward Field Cameron earned Second Team All-American honors for the second time in her career. The sophomore clocked in at 11.30 seconds […]

EUGENE, Oregon — Victoria Cameron became the fifth Texan to earn All-American status on the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships at Hayward Field
Cameron earned Second Team All-American honors for the second time in her career. The sophomore clocked in at 11.30 seconds to finish in ninth overall in the women’s 100-meter dash. She earned Second Team All-American in the 60 meters earlier this season at the 2025 Indoor Track and Field National Championships.
“I’m so proud of this entire group, team and staff,” said head coach Bobby Carter after the conclusion of the meet. “The ladies came and did their thing amongst the best here. They proved today that we belong here and we belong at the top. To have our first appearance at the NCAA Championships and walk away with multiple All-Americans is outstanding. For Victoria to come out and be the only non-Power Four individual in the 100m final is impressive as well. We are all so proud of her and know that there’s more to come. Thank you Texan Nation for all of your support and we look forward to being at more championships and bringing back more hardware!”
For the second time at a national championship, Cameron’s heat had a false start in it. The first time she entered the blocks, she got off to a torrid start but was called back by the double fire of the gun. No athletes were disqualified, and the field was given a green card to start again. In the second start, she came out of the blocks and seemed to hold the lead at the beginning but was edged out at the end. The entire field of nine was separated by just 0.16 seconds. Cameron clocked in at 11.30 seconds with the champion, USC’s Samirah Moody winning in 11.14.
The Texan women scored 1 point at the NCAA Championships to finish in the top 65. The Purple and White joined Utah Valley as the only WAC schools to score in the event. Tarleton State was just one of 21 non-Power Four programs to register at least one point. The Texans scored more points than 13 non-Power Four conference programs that did not score at the meet.
Cameron concludes the week that also included four other Tarleton State All-American performances.
Lokesh Sathyanathan became the first Tarleton State Texan to earn Division I All-American honors at the NCAA Championships with a fifth-place finish in the long jump. He became the first Indian-born athlete to ever place in the top eight in the event in NCAA Championships history. His best jump of 7.83 meters topped all non-Power Four jumpers.
Prestina Ochonogor was the second Texan to earn First Team All-American recognition. The freshman posted a best leap of 6.41 meters to land on the podium for the second time in her career after a First Team All-American performance in the long jump at the Indoor Championships earlier this year. Ochonogor was one of four athletes to earn First Team All-American honors at both the Indoor and Outdoor National Championships.
The women’s 4×100 relay consisting of Hanna Dudley, Lauren Roy, Ochonogor and Cameron earned Second Team All-American honors after finishing 15th overall. The Texans finished ahead of nine Power Four programs while finishing sixth in their heat in 43.74 seconds. The crew was one of only two non-Power Four programs in the field of 24.
Sir Jonathan Sims earned Honorable Mention All-American in the men’s triple jump on Friday. Sims competed in the triple jump for the second consecutive year. A season ago, the Arizona transfer was one of only four jumpers to compete in both the long and triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Sims best leap of 15.07 meters ranked 20th earning him honorable mention for the second consecutive year.
The men’s team finished in the top 55 in their first appearance at the outdoor championships. The team’s four points ranked second among WAC programs and was the 12th best among non-Power Four institutions.
With the conclusion of the NCAA National Championships, the collegiate season for the Texans has ended, but many athletes will be busy this summer. Many Texans will continue their season at their country’s national championships, the World University Games, and possibly the 2025 World Championships. The Texans have finished a historic season, but the individuals will look to represent the Purple and White on the global stage.
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