James Kelley

Tucson

MLS and Tucson Roadrunners Reporter at The Wildcaster

Covering high schools sports, @RoadrunnersAHL and @FCTucson for @TheWildcaster | University of Arizona journalism and history alumnus

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Articles

Tucson Roadrunners face familiar foe in first round of playoffs

2 days ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

The Tucson Roadrunners return to the playoffs to face a familiar foe. The No. 7 seed Roadrunners (34-32-4-2) face the second-seeded Abbotsford Canucks (44-24-2-2) in a best-of-three series in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs starting Wednesday. The whole series is at Abbotsford, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.
Red Raiders edge Arizona softball in battle of Big 12’s best

4 days ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

Texas Tech’s star pitcher and home runs were too much for Arizona softball to overcome. No. 13 Arizona (37-9, 14-7 Big 12) lost the series’ rubber match 5-2 to No. 14 Texas Tech (36-10, 16-2) on Saturday after getting run ruled on Friday. Texas Tech junior pitcher/utility NiJaree Canady (19-5) got her second win of the series, throwing 138 pitches and giving up two earned runs on five hits and four walks over seven innings.
Tucson Roadrunners look to punch postseason ticket in final series vs. Colorado

1 week ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

After 70 games, the fate of the Tucson Roadrunners’ 2024-25 campaign rests on their final two games of the regular season. Or maybe not. The Roadrunners (33-31-4-2) host the first place Colorado Eagles on Friday and Saturday night with a two-point lead over the Bakersfield Condors for the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. “It feels good because you want to do all that you can to get your team into meaningful games,” said Tucson head coach Steve Potvin.
Arizona softball wins series over ranked OSU, avenging last year's Super Regionals loss

2 weeks ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

After dropping the series opener, Arizona softball won two in a row against No. 18 Oklahoma State to take its fourth straight series. Led by senior pitcher/infielder Devyn Netz, the Wildcats beat the Cowgirls (23-11, 5-5 Big 12) 3-0 on Sunday. Arizona (33-7, 10-5) improved to 7-2 against ranked teams. “I think it’s huge because it proves that we can beat any team in the country and I think we’ve proven that against Texas, against Stanford, top teams that we faced, especially UCLA,” Netz said.
Roadrunners host Bakersfield in competition for last playoff spot

2 weeks ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

After months of battling Bakersfield for the last Pacific Division playoff spot, the Tucson Roadrunners face the Condors in a two-game series in their penultimate home series. The Roadrunners (31-30-3-2) host the Condors (28-26-7-3) on Saturday and Sunday clinging to a one-point lead in the Pacific standings. Tucson slid out of a playoff position during their eight-game winless streak but got back into it when they beat Bakersfield 3-2 on Feb. 11 on the road.
St. Augustine HS' Lourdes Gamez continues family’s athletic success

3 weeks ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

Versatile softball players are not that uncommon but maybe not to the extent that three-sport St. Augustine Catholic High School star Lourdes Gamez is. Already an All-Region selection as a shortstop, Gamez added catcher and pitcher to her slate. “Shortstop, that’s the position that I usually play and that’s what I like, I’ve been moved around to being catcher, so it’s a little trickier,” Gamez said.
Slumping Roadrunners return home for critical home stand

3 weeks ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

After a rough road-trip, the Tucson Roadrunners return to the friendly confines of the Tucson Arena for a crucial home stand if they hope to make the playoffs for the third straight season. Tucson (30-29-3-2) went 1-4 on their last long road trip dropping them into eighth place. The top seven teams in the Pacific Division make the playoffs. After weeks of chasing the Roadrunners, the Bakersfield Condors (28-25-7-3) beat Tucson 3-2 to overtake them for the last playoff spot.
Devyn Netz leads Arizona softball to series win at BYU

3 weeks ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

Led by senior pitcher/infielder Devyn Netz, Arizona won another conference road series but dropped the finale after two dominant wins for the second straight week. On Saturday, the No. 9 Wildcats (31-6, 8-4) fell to BYU 9-4. UA won the series in its first trip to Provo, Utah, after Netz won two games as a pitcher, including a perfect game to open the series. She also hit two home runs.
Arizona softball team’s emphasis on scoring runs pays off

4 weeks ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

Although Arizona is in the top 15 nationally in almost every offensive statistic, it is focused on one in particular. No. 9-ranked Arizona (29-5, 6-3 Big 12) is averaging 7.88 runs per game. “The biggest emphasis this year has been scoring runs, period,” said UA head coach Caitlin Lowe. “It’s not been batting average, home runs, extra base hits, OPS.
Arizona softball beats ASU for first Big 12 road series win

1 month ago | tucson.com | James Kelley

Arizona softball’s bid to sweep ASU on the road came up short as their bats went cold on Sunday. UA (29-5, 6-3) lost 3-2 to the Sun Devils (23-10, 5-4) in the final match up of the three-game series after leaving 10 runners on base and going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Wildcats outscored their in-state rivals 11-2 in the first two games of the series.