5A-I — Nationally-ranked (Mesa) Desert Ridge H.S., the large-school (5A-I) tournament’s top seed, won its second consecutive state title with an 11–4 victory over (Ahwatukee) Mountain Pointe H.S. Desert Ridge broke open a tight contest with a decisive six-run sixth inning. The Jaguars’ 11-hit attack was abetted by five Mountain Pointe errors.

To reach the championship game, Desert Ridge beat (Ahwatukee) Desert Vista H.S., (Tucson) Salpointe H.S., and Gilbert H.S. twice.

Desert Ridge won the 5A-II division in 2009.

4A-I — (Scottsdale ) Saguaro High School won the 4A-I baseball championship in the afternoon session, defeating (Tucson) Catalina Foothills H.S. 15–5. The title was Saguaro’s second state baseball crown and first since winning the 5A division in 1992. Its nine-run sixth inning made the Sabercats champions by the 10-run rule.

En route to its title, second-seeded Saguaro also defeated Queen Creek H.S., (Tucson) Sahuaro H.S., and (Flagstaff) Cienega H.S.

For additional AIA information, visit www.aiaonline.org.

The 4A-I and 5A-I championship games will be played at Camelback Ranch-Glendale on Saturday, May 15 at 3:07 p.m. and 7:07 p.m., respectively.

On Friday, (Flagstaff) Cienega H.S. and (Scottsdale) Saguaro H.S. clash at 4 p.m. followed by the (Tucson) Catalina Foothills H.S.-(Tucson) Canyon del Oro contest at 7 p.m. The two winners decide the 4A-I championship on Saturday.

(Ahwatukee) Mountain Pointe and (Mesa) Desert Ridge advanced to Saturday’s 5A-I title contest with victories Thursday night.

Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $6 for high school students with identification. Children ages five and younger will be admitted free.

For the complete baseball schedule and locations, visit the top story section of www.aiaonline.org or the brackets section of www.aia365.com.

Camelback Ranch-Glendale Schedule

Friday, May 14 (4A-I Semifinal Games)

4 p.m. — (Flagstaff) Cienega H.S. vs. (Scottsdale) Saguaro H.S.

7 p.m. — (Tucson) Catalina Foothills H.S. vs. (Tucson) Canyon del Oro H.S.

Saturday, May 15

3:07 p.m. — 4A-I Championship Game

Winners of Friday’s 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. games

7:07 p.m. — 5A-I Championship Game

(Ahwatukee) Mountain Pointe vs. (Mesa) Desert Ridge

Top-seeded (Tucson) Canyon del Oro H.S. heads the remaining eight-team 4A-I field. Besides the two quarterfinal games at Camelback Ranch-Glendale, there also will be two games at Surprise Stadium on Wednesday. All remaining 4A-I games will be played at Camelback Ranch-Glendale on Friday and Saturday, May 14–15.

Five of the remaining eight 4A-I teams hail from Tucson or Flagstaff. Two local teams, Copper Canyon H.S., located approximately two miles east of Camelback Ranch-Glendale, nearby (Peoria) Sunrise Mountain H.S, and (Scottsdale) Saguaro H.S. are located in Maricopa County.

Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $6 for high school students with identification. Children aged five and younger will be admitted free.

For the complete baseball schedule and locations, visit the top story section of www.aiaonline.org or the brackets section of www.aia365.com.

Camelback Ranch-Glendale Schedule

Wednesday, May 12 (4A-I Quarterfinal Games)

4 p.m. — (Tucson) Sabino H.S. vs. (Tucson) Catalina Foothills H.S.

7 p.m. — (Peoria) Sunrise Mountain H.S. vs. (Tucson) Canyon del Oro H.S.

Thursday, May 13 (5A-I Seminfinal Games)

4 p.m. — (Mesa) Desert Ridge H.S. vs. Gilbert H.S.

7 p.m. (if Gilbert wins 4 p.m. game) — (Mesa) Desert Ridge H.S. vs. Gilbert H.S.

Friday, May 14 (4A-I Semifinal Games)

4 p.m. — (Flagstaff) Cienega H.S. or (Glendale) Copper Canyon H.S.  winner vs.

(Scottsdale) Saguaro H.S. or (Tucson) Sahuaro H.S. winner

7 p.m. — (Tucson) Sabino H.S. vs. (Tucson) Catalina Foothills H.S. winner vs.

(Peoria) Sunrise Mountain H.S. vs. (Tucson) Canyon del Oro H.S. winner

Saturday, May 15

3:07 p.m. — 4A-I championship game

7:07 p.m. — 5A-I championship game

5A-I (Double Elimination)

Six teams remain alive in the large-school 5A-I division. Top-seeded (Mesa) Desert Ridge H.S. and (Ahwatukee) Mountain Pointe H.S., the only two teams sporting 3–0 records in the double-elimination tournament, have reached the semifinals on Thursday, May 13.

(Ahwatukee) Mountain Pointe High School is one of two 3–0 teams in the Arizona Interscholastic Association baseball tournament.

Their opponents will be determined by elimination games on Tuesday, May 11 at Camelback Ranch-Glendale and Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

(Tucson) Salpointe is the only school of the six that is not located in Maricopa County.

4A-I (Single Elimination)

Top-seeded (Tucson) Canyon del Oro H.S. heads the remaining eight-team field. Quarterfinal games are scheduled on Wednesday, May 12 at Camelback Ranch-Glendale and Surprise Stadium.

Five of the remaining eight teams hail from Tucson or Flagstaff. Two local teams, Copper Canyon H.S., located approximately two miles east of Camelback Ranch-Glendale, nearby (Peoria) Sunrise Mountain H.S, and (Scottsdale) Saguaro H.S. are located in Maricopa County.

Camelback Ranch-Glendale Schedule

Tuesday, May 11 (5A-I Elimination Games)

4 p.m. — (Mesa) Red Mountain H.S. vs. (Gilbert) Mesquite H.S.

7 p.m. — Gilbert H.S. vs. (Tucson) Salpointe H.S.

Wednesday, May 12 (4A-I Quarterfinal Games)

4 p.m. — (Tucson) Sabino H.S. vs. (Tucson) Catalina Foothills H.S.

7 p.m. — (Peoria) Sunrise Mountain H.S. vs. (Tucson) Canyon del Oro H.S.

Thursday, May 13

4 p.m. — (Mesa) Desert Ridge H.S. vs. Gilbert H.S./Salpointe H.S. winner

7 p.m. (if necessary) — (Mesa) Desert Ridge H.S. vs. winner of 4 p.m. game

Friday, May 14 (4A-I Semifinal Games)

4 p.m. — (Flagstaff) Cienega H.S. or (Glendale) Copper Canyon H.S. vs.

(Scottsdale) Saguaro H.S. or (Tucson) Sahuaro H.S.

7 p.m. — (Tucson) Sabino H.S. vs. (Tucson) Catalina Foothills H.S. winner vs.

(Peoria) Sunrise Mountain H.S. vs. (Tucson) Canyon del Oro H.S.

Saturday, May 15

3:07 p.m. — 4A-I championship game

7:07 p.m. — 5A-I championship game

Additional Tournament Information

Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $6 for high school students with identification. Children aged five and younger will be admitted free.

For the complete baseball schedule and locations, visit the top story section of www.aiaonline.org or the brackets section of www.aia365.com.

Qualifying teams in each classification will play at least 14 games at CBR-G during the 12-day span, culminating in the two championship games at 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 15.

All games will be played in CBR-G’s stadium, the largest in the Cactus League.
The two championship games also will be webcast live at www.aia365.com.

Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $6 for high school students with identification. Children 5 and younger will be admitted free.

CBR-G President and General Manager Jeff Overton offers, “We are thrilled to bring the state baseball tournament to beautiful Camelback Ranch-Glendale, the most visited spring-training facility during the 2010 Cactus League season, and the City of Glendale for the first time. It is a privilege to provide aspiring athletes the opportunity to play in the same stadium where big leaguers play.”

Glendale City Manager Ed Beasley adds, “The City of Glendale is proud to host the AIA high school baseball tournaments at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. This continues our tradition of hosting AIA youth events in our community and reaffirms Glendale’s commitment to being the home of youth sports in the Valley and Arizona. Our partnership with the AIA has allowed us the chance to give young athletes and their families many memorable experiences, and we are thrilled to provide the opportunity for these students to play in a state-of-the-art facility that is shared by some of the greatest players from major-league baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.”

In addition to Camelback Ranch, a portion of the early-round 4A-I and 5A-I baseball tournament games will be played at Phoenix Municipal Stadium and Surprise Stadium.

For the complete AIA baseball schedule and locations, visit the tournament guides section of www.aiaonline.org or the brackets section of www.aia365.com.

Glendale, Arizona — Today’s crowd of 13,391 breaks the one-year-old Camelback Ranch-Glendale (CBR-G) and six-year-old Cactus League single-game attendance records.

The previous Cactus League single-game mark of 13,366 was set March 12, 2004 at the Peoria Sports Complex when the Seattle Mariners played host to the Chicago Cubs.

Last year’s CBR-G inaugural season high of 13,311 for a Cubs-Chicago White Sox game on March 21 ranked third in all-time Cactus League single-game attendance entering the 2010 season.

Tomorrow’s Cubs-White Sox game at CBR-G also is sold out.

Priced from $10–$42, tickets are available at CBR-G’s home plate box office from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., by phone (800–745–3000), online via www.ticketmaster.com, and at all Ticketmaster locations (Fry’s Marketplace, FYE, La Curacao, Macy’s and Phoenix Convention Center).

Discounts — Single-game discounts are available!

Seniors, active/retired military and students can purchse half-price tickets in four seat categories — baseline field box. infield box, baseline reserved,
and berm seats — every Tuesday and Wednesday. All other games are discounted $2 per ticket for seniors, active/retired military, and students.

Every Sunday is Kids’ Day at CBR-G when berm tickets are available to youngsters for only $3 (except Sunday, March 7, Cubs vs. White Sox).

Group Discounts — Groups of 15 or more people receive a $6 discount on infield box and baseline reserved seating Monday-Thursday, and $2 off for
Friday-Sunday and premier games. Call 623-302-5000 for discounted group ticket information.

Party Areas & Suites — Luxury suites and two group party areas (Legends Deck and White Sox Bullpen Patio) with food and beverage are available by
calling a sales representative at 623-302-5000.

Season Tickets — Season tickets and mini-ticket plans remain available. The 28-game season plan includes all Dodgers and White Sox games at CBR-G.
The team-specific plans feature 16 (White Sox) and 15 (Dodgers) games. Three mini-plans offer seven, four and three games.

Other — Parking for all games at CBR-G in 2010 is free!

The Dodgers and/or White Sox play at CBR-G every day from March 5–31. The two teams face each other in the opener on Friday, March 5.

Fan-friendly Camelback Ranch-Glendale recently received a 2009 Editor’s Choice citation from Ballpark Digest for “significantly advancing the
state of the art for spring-training complexes.”

For information on Dodgers and White Sox 2010 Cactus League baseball at CBR-G, visit www.camelbackranchbaseball.com.

Glendale’s spring training ballpark received the Editor’s Choice award at ballparkdigest.com, an Internet site about the culture and business of baseball.

“Camelback Ranch-Glendale is a bold reimagining of the spring training complex, bringing in the feel of a classic training camp with all the amenities of today,” the publication said.

BALLPARK DIGEST AWARDS

For the third year, Ballpark Digest handed out honors for noteworthy accomplishments in the baseball world.

Readers and teams submitted nominations for the awards and editors selected winners.

Ballparkdigest.com launched in 2002 and reports an average of 4,000 daily readers.

GLENDALE’S WINNING ATTRIBUTES

The spring home of the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers was cited for its state-of-the-art advancement of spring training complexes.

“In a design that turns spring training design on its head, fans park on the opposite side of the complex from the ballpark,” the story reads.

The editors praised the layout, which has fans meander along paths near a lake and past practice fields before getting to “one of the nicest ballparks in spring training.”

Dallas-based HKS designed the facility, which appears to “rise from the flat Valley floor.”

Buildings feature sloped roof lines to mimic mountains on the horizon.

The facility also meets the training needs of the Dodgers’ and White Sox’ major and minor league squads with clubhouses that feature weight rooms, aquatic treadmills and video throughout the complex, allowing coaches to give instant feedback to players and pitchers.

CITY AND TEAM REACTION

• “We strive to create the ultimate fan experience in our sports and entertainment district, and the addition of Camelback Ranch-Glendale to our lineup of state-of-the-art sporting facilities has allowed us to reach our goal of becoming one of the premier professional sports destinations in the nation,” City Manager Ed Beasley said in a released statement.

• “For Dodger fans who have always wanted to take part in the spring training experience, last season was eye-opening and the positive feedback we’ve received validated the vision that was carried out in building the best spring training campus in all of baseball,” said Dodger President Dennis Mannion.

• “The goal of the White Sox, Dodgers and city of Glendale in designing and creating the facility was to marry the demands of preparing for a championship major-league baseball season with providing fans a first-class, intimate view of their heroes. Feedback from our fans and recognition such as this from Ballpark Digest are rewards for all of the hard work by everyone involved in making Camelback Ranch-Glendale a reality,” said Terry Savarise, senior vice president of stadium operations for the White Sox.

• “The design for Camelback Ranch is about creating transparency at several levels: as you drive to the site, as you walk through the training complex, as you approach either of the two stadium entries and as you enjoy a game, you are immersed in baseball, unlike any other spring training site,” said Mo Stein, principal In charge for HKS Architects. COST

Camelback Ranch-Glendale cost $158 million for the ballpark and nearby infrastructure. Glendale continues to negotiate its portion of the cost.

City staffers expect it to be less than $115 million for the facility, plus $37 million for the infrastructure.

The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority should eventually chip in nearly $60 million.

“Juan always put the Dodgers first, even when it wasn’t in his personal best interest,” said Colletti. “In this day, that is a rare attribute. When he and I spoke at the end of the season, we agreed that if an opportunity presented itself in which his chance to play would be enhanced, we would pursue it and that’s what we’ve done. He deserved the chance to play more.”

During his three seasons with Los Angeles, Pierre batted .294 with a .339 on-base percentage and 134 stolen bases in 173 attempts. Last season, his 10th in the Majors, Pierre hit .308 (117-for-380) with a .365 on-base percentage in 145 games.

The Dodgers will receive the two players to be named on or before Jan. 7, 2010.

Overton will oversee all aspects of CBR-G, including business development, operations, marketing, public relations, sales and special events.

“Jeff is a very well-rounded sports management professional,” offers Dodgers President Dennis Mannion. “His impressive career has been both effective and diverse. He will be a great leader for Camelback Ranch as it continues to grow after a very successful first season.”

White Sox Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer Brooks Boyer adds, “With vast experience in sports marketing, operations and business development, particularly in baseball, Jeff Overton is the perfect fit to serve as the first president and new general manager of Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Jeff is responsible for driving business growth and maintaining an effective system of operations at our spring training facility, Camelback Ranch – Glendale. We (the White Sox and Dodgers) are supremely confident he will help us set the standard for spring training excellence.”

Overton spent the past seven years as executive vice president-business operations with the San Diego Padres. During his tenure, he assumed primary responsibility for the opening of PETCO Park in 2004 and also managed the 2006 and ’09 World Baseball Classic games at the new stadium and Tony Gwynn’s Hall of Fame induction.

The Illinois native previously served in marketing capacities for the Texas Rangers and with the Cleveland Indians and White Sox.

As executive vice president-marketing for Southwest Sports Group in Dallas from 2001–02, Overton was responsible for marketing the Rangers, Dallas Stars (NHL), and the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. His tenure included a rebranding of the Rangers’ Ballpark in Arlington. He also served as the team business representative with respective league offices and broadcast partners.

Previously, Overton was senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for the Cleveland Indians from 1989–2001, and assistant vice president-marketing, sales and promotions for the White Sox from 1982–87.

In Cleveland, he was strategically involved in the opening of another new ball park, Jacobs Field, in 1994, and helped develop the Indians’ “Blueprint For Success,” a plan that eventually led to 455 consecutive sellouts, a major-league record. He also orchestrated the single biggest one-day ticket sale of any Ticketmaster user in history, selling in excess of 360,000 tickets in 1996.

Additionally, Overton spent two years as national director of the Miller Sports Group for Rogers Merchandising, Inc. in Chicago from 1987–89 where he interfaced with Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and five disciplines of motorsports.

Overton began his baseball career as general manager of the Midwest League Class-A Appleton Foxes in 1981.

A graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Overton also holds a master’s degree from Western Illinois University.