The Diamondbacks will play a split-squad spring training game against the San Diego Padres at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tucson on March 17, the team announced Thursday.
“We are thrilled to be playing a game in Tucson again,” D-backs president Derrick Hall said. “Southern Arizona is an important part of our fan base and our franchise’s history, and we always look for ways to keep a presence there.”
The D-backs played all of their home spring training games in Tucson for 13 years, from 1998-2010, at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, formerly known as Tucson Electric Park. Their game on March 17 will be their first in Tucson since 2011, when they played there twice. The D-backs hosted the Chicago White Sox at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium for a spring training matchup on March 7, 2011, and returned later that month to host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a charity game with proceeds that benefited the Tucson Together Fund.
The Padres’ Triple-A minor league affiliate, the Tucson Padres, have played their home games at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium since 2011.
“This is a perfect matchup for baseball fans in southern Arizona,” said Mike Feder, general manager of the Tucson Padres. “There are Arizona Diamondbacks fans throughout Tucson and they will get to see some D-backs players up close. On the Padres side, fans will see a combination of San Diego players and future Tucson Padres.”
The game in Tucson will start at 1:05 p.m.
Another D-backs split squad will host the Los Angeles Dodgers at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on the same day at 1:10 p.m.
Tickets for the game in Tucson go on sale Saturday, February 9, at 10 a.m.
