After years without professional baseball, Tucson is stepping back onto the diamond next month.

The newly relocated Mexican Pacific League team, formerly the Mayos de Navojoa from Sonora, Mexico, will call Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium home, giving local fans a team of their own and marking the city’s return to professional baseball.

“I am excited to see the Tucson Baseball Team compete and help us create more opportunities to highlight the incredible local college and high school talent that we have here in Tucson,” Mayor Regina Romero said in a post on Instagram.

The Tucson Baseball Team is the only team in the Mexican Pacific League based in the United States. The league, also known as the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico, is the third largest in the world.

Blake Eager, executive director of the Southern Arizona Sports, Tourism and Film Authority, said Tucson was a community raised on baseball and is ready for its return.

“Baseball has been the glue to our community in southern Arizona,” Eager said.

Born and raised on the west side of Tucson, Eager grew up with one goal: to become a professional baseball player. He played for the St. Lucie Mets, a Minor League Baseball team in the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets.

“Baseball means the world to me. It's why I'm here,” Eager said.

Watching professional baseball leave the community he grew up in was devastating, he said.

“Seeing it come back is not only a proud moment for me, but what it does is it gives kids … an opportunity to see that there's more growth, there's more life out there,” he said.

Eager said that while it would be great for Tucson to have major league sports teams, that hasn’t been the case. Instead, he believes the city could become the nation’s top minor league market.

“Phoenix is the market for major league sports,” Eager said. “Let them be the major league city, and let us be the minor league city, and be the best minor league city in the country.”

That vision has helped galvanize local efforts and set the stage for the return of professional baseball to Tucson. The city hosted the World Baseball Classic 2025 Qualifiers in March and will host the upcoming annual Mexican Baseball Fiesta on Oct. 2-5, as well as the Arizona Fall Tripleheader on Oct. 11.

Visit Tucson believes the return of professional baseball will help showcase the city’s other attractions, like the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, Old Tucson and Biosphere 2.

“I think with us having a team that gives us that leg up in Mexico and still builds that relationship out in Mexico that Tucson is a great place to come,” said Bree Lopez, Visit Tucson's sports sales manager.

Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico play runs from mid-October through the end of December.

The Tucson Baseball Team’s debut against the Naranjeros de Hermosillo is scheduled for Oct. 16 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium. Tickets for the inaugural game can be purchased online and range from $10 to $30.

There are three season-pass options that include access to all home games. The Tucson Desert Pass also includes parking and VIP access, while the Tucson Legacy Pass adds a home jersey.

The Tucson Baseball Team’s full schedule is available on its website.

Diana Ramos is a University of Arizona alum and Tucson Spotlight reporter. Contact her at dianacramos@arizona.edu.

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