2024 Baseball

Ninth Annual Southern Arizona All-Star Games draw record crowd at Kino Annex Fields

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Members of an all-star team of the Southern Arizona All-Star Games at Kino Annex Fields (Stephanie van Latum/Special to AllSportsTucson.com)

Kino Baseball League president Bill Leith estimated more than 1,200 spectators attended the five games involved in the Ninth Southern Arizona High School All-Star Games at the Kino Annex Fields on Tuesday night.

Leith indicated that’s a record crowd for the event that he has staged involving senior and underclassmen players over the eight previous years. This year, Leith added a “futures” all-star game that featured players heading into high school in the 2024-25 school year.

Bleachers at all five fields were packed and people lined the fences beyond each foul line.

It was also refreshing to see more of a friendly atmosphere at the annex fields after the recent change of leadership with the Kino Stadium District.

Instead of about 10 unnecessary message boards in front of the entrance telling fans they can’t do this or that (including no sunscreen spray) in the past, only three boards were in use, including the necessary one of no firearms allowed. Vendors were also allowed to have their vehicles in between the fields at the annex, a departure from the past.

REUNION OF 2019 SUNNYSIDE LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM

Four members of Sunnyside’s 2019 Little League team that came a game away from reaching the Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pa., participated in one of the underclassmen all-star games — Izaiah Moraga, Mikey Muniz, Andrew Romo and Angel “Boi” Armenta.

The four players along with former Sunnyside manager Francisco Rivero Sr. gathered at the Kino Annex Fields. Rivero, who coaches within the Dirtbags youth baseball organization, coached one of the teams of the futures all-star game. Rivero’s son Francisco Jr. was on that team and is now a budding prospect playing in Venezuela.

Here is when the Sunnyside players introduced themselves on ESPN during the Western Regionals that year:

KVOA-TV’s reflection of Sunnyside’s amazing run:

My video interview with Rivero, Moraga, Muniz, Romo and Armenta on Tuesday night:

TWEETS

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE VAN LATUM (CLICK TO ACCESS)

PHOTOS BY ANDY MORALES (CLICK TO ACCESS)

ROSTERS

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