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Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training Preview/GDT, #1: 3/3 vs. ASU

Woo-hoo! The winter is officially over, folks! Baseball takes the field again this afternoon!

By Jim McLennan
It's come-up a beauty. @Dbacks @ASU_Baseball from @SaltRiverFields at 3 #Sports620. Spring training is back !!!
It's come-up a beauty. @Dbacks @ASU_Baseball from @SaltRiverFields at 3 #Sports620. Spring training is back !!!
@GubnuhDbacks, via Twitter

I was concerned yesterday that the weather wasn't going to be amicable, with more or less non-stop rain all day - not exactly the spring in Arizona for which I signed up. But while it continued overnight, things are looking a good deal more promising today, and we should be set for the Diamondbacks to open their campaign at Salt River Fields. It's not only their first contest of 2015, it will also be the first time they have faced a local college team: this year, it's ASU, with honors rotating between them, U of A and GCU going forward. The game will be broadcast live on local radio here in Phoenix: you can pick it up on ESPN Phoenix 620 AM, with coverage beginning at 3pm.

Diamondbacks line-up
  1. A.J. Pollock, CF
  2. Aaron Hill, 2B
  3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
  4. Jake Lamb, DH
  5. Mark Trumbo, RF
  6. Cody Ross, LF
  7. Yasmany Tomas, 3B
  8. Tuffy Gosewisch, C
  9. Nick Ahmed, SS
    + P Andrew Chafin. The other pitchers listed as "available" are lefties Justin Marks and Will Locante, along with right-handers A.J. Schugel, Tim Crabbe, Enrique Burgos and Jake Barrett.

That doesn't seem too far off a potential Opening Day line-up for our position players, with the obvious addition of a DH, and the removal of Chris Owings, who is still making his way back from shoulder surgery. Interesting to see Lamb, not just occupying the DH spot, but also batting clean-up. Fun to see Tuffy starting behind the plate against his alma mater this afternoon too. Chafin will have something to prove today as well. He pitched well in his cup of coffee last year - you can't do much better than five shutout innings in your major-league debut - but he seems to have been forgotten in terms of potential candidates for the roster this season.

Things to remember this afternoon.

  • It's spring training. The result doesn't matter.
  • That said, it would be embarrassing to lose, even against a program ranked in the top 25 nationwide.
  • But it's spring training and doesn't matter.
  • It particularly doesn't matter for Yasmany Tomas, though I fully expect the Internet confidently to decide whether his signing was worthwhile, on the basis of potentially as as many three plate-appearances this afternoon.
  • But right now,. I just want to see everyone get through this game with all limbs intact, having got the rust out of their system a little bit.
  • And did I mention, it doesn't matter?

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