👋 GOOD MORNING - Happy Tuesday! I hope you had a nice weekend, and hey, if you were off yesterday, welcome to the start of your four-day week!

It’s hard to believe that summer is here, but it is! Don’t forget about our Chase Field pool party on July 3 — snag your tickets today as we protect the pool when the Nationals are in town — the deal includes a game ticket (in the pool, of course), as well as food and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the game. I sure hope we see you there.

On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

Wildcats Pick Up Right Where They Left Off; Sun Devils Also Dancing

New conference, same result.

The Wildcats baseball team picked up right where it left off, earning the Big 12 championship after a thrilling, 2-1 come-from-behind win over TCU on Saturday night. Arizona won the tournament in its first season of Big 12 play, just a year after winning the title in its final season in the Pac-12.

And now the Wildcats have bigger fish to fry, aiming for redemption after a bitterly disappointing end to last year’s NCAA Tourney.

The ASU baseball team, meanwhile, had to wait patiently after a stunning exit in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, but the Sun Devils were able to exhale after receiving an at-large bid, ending a four-year tournament drought.

Both desert-dwelling schools are dancing their way into late May.

Wildcats Kick Off Regional in Eugene, Ore.

The only suspense the Arizona baseball team experienced was where they would kick off their national title chase, and who their opponent would be. The Wildcats will join the host Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Ore., along with Cal Poly and Utah Valley.

The double-elimination bracket kicks off against Cal Poly (41-17, 23-7 Big West) on Friday at 1 pm (ESPN+).

• The Wildcats have the sixth-most NCAA Tournament appearances in the nation (44)

• Arizona has made five straight appearances, the second-longest streak in school history (14 straight from 1950-1963).

• The Wildcats outscored their opponents 18-3 during their Big 12 Tourney run.

• UA has qualified for the NCAA Tourney in all four seasons under coach Chip Hale.

Sun Devils Squeak In Despite Late-Season Slide

The ride to the Big Dance wasn’t as smooth for Arizona State, which dropped its last four games of the season. That threw its tournament hopes into question, despite putting together a solid 35-22 record, including an 18-12 mark in the Big 12.

In the end, it was enough to help the Sun Devils qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time under coach Willie Bloomquist, and it marks the school’s 42nd overall appearance.

ASU will play in the Los Angeles region, hosted by No. 15 UCLA, and opens up against second-seeded UC Irvine (41-15, 24-6 Big West). The matchup marks the third time the schools will face each other in postseason play, and kicks off Friday at 6 pm on ESPN+.

Fourth-seeded Fresno State rounds out the Los Angeles region.

• The Anteaters eliminated ASU in a 2007 College World Series elimination game.

• UC Irvine leads the all-time series 11-9, and has won six straight meetings.

• The Sun Devils are the only team in the country to have not lost by more than five runs this season.

• Arizona State led the Big 12 with four First Team All-Conference selections, and 12 overall selections.

My Take: Sit back and enjoy all of the action. Both schools should be proud of what they have accomplished in the face of a new conference, and they each have an opportunity to make some noise in their respective regions.

Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Nice Try, Buccos: The Diamondbacks snapped a five game losing streak, topping the Pirates 5-0 behind Ryne Nelson’s four-hit gem. Josh Naylor finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and a home run, while Ketel Marte, Eugenio Suárez and Tim Tawa also added an RBI each.

The win got the D-backs back to .500 on the season, and they’re back in action tonight at 6:40 pm in game two of their three-game set.

Striking a Match: The ASU men’s golf team has qualified for match play at the NCAA Championship, and did so in emphatic fashion by earning the top overall seed after four days of competition. ASU finished ahead of Auburn, Florida, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and Ole Miss, and will first face eighth-seeded Ole Miss in the match play quarterfinals. Best of luck!!

Solid Weekend: The Mercury were 1-1 this weekend, falling in Seattle 77-70 on Friday before rebounding with a 68-62 win over Washington back home in The Valley on Sunday. It has been a strong start to the season for Phoenix, which is not only 3-0 at home, but is also off to the third-best start in the league, tied with the Storm and behind only New York (3-0) and Minnesota (4-0).

The Mercury are back in action tonight against Angel Reese and the Sky. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 pm, and will be broadcast on Arizona’s Family / 3TV.

It’s a Little Drafty: Make sure to check out the NBA Diehard Draft Guide — Led by ALLCITY draft analysts Derek Bodner of PHLY and Will Gottlieb of CHGO, this guide is your one-stop-shop as teams across the league gear up to reshape their rosters

Note the Diehard draft guide is best viewed on desktop or tablet!

Long Time Coming: I’d be remiss if I didn’t congratulate Team USA, which captured its first gold medal since 1933 at the IIHF World Championships. Arizona had a lot to do with it. Former Coyotes stars Clayton Keller (captain) and Logan Cooley played a huge role in the team’s success, while Arizona native Tage Thompson scored the golden goal 2:02 into overtime to defeat Switzerland 1-0 in the championship game. Cooley assisted on the game-winner.

🧢 Tip of the Hat by Branded Bills

What, you didn’t believe me?

How I’m Feeling, In GIF Form

Trying to get back into the swing of things after a long weekend: