Key Takeaways
- Arizona Athletic Grounds and Triple Crown Sports agree to host 11 baseball tournaments from February 2026 through 2029
- The Arizona Spring Championships draws roughly 800 teams annually during MLB Spring Training in Mesa
- AAG’s diamonds complex features eight turf fields designed for year-round tournament play
- Triple Crown Sports has produced youth and collegiate events for more than 40 years across multiple sports
- The first event in the series, AZ Spring Championships Session 1, begins February 26, 2026
A Four-Year Tournament Commitment in Mesa
Arizona Athletic Grounds, a large-scale youth sports and entertainment facility in Mesa, Arizona, has partnered with Triple Crown Sports to host 11 baseball tournaments beginning this month and running through 2029. The deal centers on Triple Crown’s Arizona Spring Championships, one of the largest youth baseball events in the world, which brings hundreds of teams to the Phoenix metro area each spring during MLB Spring Training.
Triple Crown Sports, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, has operated youth, high school and collegiate events for more than 40 years across baseball, softball, volleyball and basketball.
“Matt and the entire Triple Crown team are exceptional to work with and approach every event with a goal of making it better than the last,” said Ashley Pauly, Director of Diamonds at AAG.
Why the Facility Matters
AAG’s diamonds complex includes eight turf fields, a feature that reduces weather-related cancellations and provides a consistent playing surface for large-scale tournament operations. For an event operator managing hundreds of teams across multiple days, field reliability is a logistics priority.
Matt Pilcher, Event Director for the Arizona Spring Championships at Triple Crown Sports, pointed to the venue’s infrastructure and staff as key factors in the extended commitment.
“The facility, the staff and the overall experience in Mesa make this an ideal home for our events,” Pilcher said. “Our goal is always to raise the bar for our teams and families, and this partnership gives us the platform to do that for years to come.”
Scale of Triple Crown’s Event Portfolio
Triple Crown Sports operates some of the highest-participation events in youth and amateur sports. Its Colorado 4th of July fastpitch softball tournament draws 1,200 teams. The Omaha SlumpBuster, held during the College World Series, attracts 700 teams. The Arizona Spring Championships brings approximately 800 teams to Mesa annually.
Beyond baseball and softball, TCS produces the Postseason WNIT basketball event, the DI Cancun Challenge tournaments, and a volleyball NIT in Kansas City that draws 650 teams and has become one of the most heavily recruited club volleyball events in the country.
What a Multi-Year Deal Means for Mesa
Locking in 11 events over four years gives both parties scheduling stability and allows for incremental growth in team count, sponsorship activation and spectator experience. For Mesa and the surrounding area, recurring large-scale tournaments translate to consistent hotel, dining and travel spending tied to youth sports families.
The first event in the series tips off February 26, 2026.
via: AZ Grounds
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