New Pac-12 Baseball Tournament to take place at Scottsdale Stadium
Aug 25, 2021, 9:44 AM
The heart of Old Town Scottsdale will be the first home of the new Pac-12 Baseball Tournament starting in 2022.
Scottsdale, The Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission and the Pac-12 announced Wednesday that Scottsdale Stadium will host the conference tournament from May 25-29 in 2022.
The agreement between the Pac-12 and Scottsdale runs through 2024. The newly formed double-elimination tournament will include the top eight teams in the conference standings.
“The Pac-12 Baseball Tournament is a marquee event that will serve to enhance the exposure of the conference’s baseball programs with competitive, late-season matchups prior to NCAA Tournament selections,” Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff said in a release.
“It will also provide student-athletes with a first-class experience and the opportunity to compete for a championship in a premier destination for the sport on the West Coast.”
The two Arizona universities with Pac-12 membership have rich traditions in baseball. The Arizona State Sun Devils have five national titles, the fourth-most in the nation, while the Arizona Wildcats have four.
The Pac-12 put six teams in the NCAA Tournament this past season, three of whom hosted regionals. It has placed a team in the NCAA College World Series in every tournament except for seven since 1947, when the event began.
Scottsdale Stadium, which was constructed in 1956, has hosted the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants during spring training.
It has been the spring home of the Giants since 1984.
“Scottsdale Stadium is the perfect venue for the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament,” Scottsdale mayor David Ortega said in a release. “Our city has a long history with Major League Baseball, including a nearly 40-year relationship with the San Francisco Giants, and we’re ecstatic to be able to add Pac-12 baseball to the mix.
“We look forward to hearing the roar of fans at the ballpark as the Conference crowns its champion in Scottsdale.”
