FOX Sports Arizona steps up with D-backs

Published Apr. 4, 2012 6:03 p.m. ET

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FOX Sports Arizona has been televising Arizona Diamondbacks baseball since the team’s inaugural 1998 campaign, and never before has it offered the amount of D-backs programming it’s ready to roll out this season. The network’s biggest television schedule ever debuts in just two days when Opening Day is celebrated in downtown Phoenix.

This is the sixth consecutive season the network will televise 150 games and for the first time ever, it will offer 150 “Diamondbacks Live” pre-game shows and 150 “Diamondbacks Live” post-game shows as well. The schedule gets started Friday when the D-backs host the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day. FOXSportsArizona.com will offer a special one-hour web show beginning at 2 p.m. that leads into FOX Sports Arizona’s one-hour pre-game show on television at 3 p.m. First pitch follows at 4:10 p.m., when Ian Kennedy battles Tim Lincecum.

Once again, Daron Sutton teams with Mark Grace to call D-backs action throughout the season. Todd Walsh and Joe Borowski return to host the majority of the pre- and post-game shows, while Jody Jackson serves as an in-game reporter and will spell Walsh as host on occasion as well. Also joining the pre-game and post-game shows from time-to-time will be Chuck Powell. Bill Cochran serves as the producer for the majority of the telecasts, and Mitch Riggin is the director. Joe Nikkola will also produce games this season, while Gregson Frampton, Graham Taylor and Al Porteous will produce pre and post-game shows.

The game telecasts won’t be the only way fans get to know the D-backs players and organization this season. FOX Sports Arizona will also roll out new original programming and other unique viewing options to feature the D-backs throughout the season. The lineup includes the following:

• Six monthly episodes of the Emmy Award winning “Diamondbacks 10th Inning” magazine show

• New D-backs “Snapshots” featuring Kirk Gibson, Daniel Hudson, Paul Goldschmidt, Willie Bloomquist, Ryan Roberts, Jason Kubel & Trevor Cahill

• “In My Own Words – Matt Williams”

• “All Day with the Diamondbacks” - 13 days during the season that will have on average nine consecutive hours of D-backs programming. Each one starts at 1:30 pm with a replay of the previous night’s game. Leads into D-backs original programming, a pre-game show, live game and post-game show.

• 275 game replays

FOX Sports Arizona televises the most regional sports action in the state and is the exclusive cable television home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Phoenix Mercury. FOX Sports Arizona is currently seen in 2.5 million households in Arizona & New Mexico and can also be seen across the country via home satellite services. And for even more coverage of the local sports scene, log onto www.foxsportsarizona.com, www.twitter.com/foxsportsaz and www.facebook.com/foxsportsarizona.