Hamilton teammates Patrick Murphy and Cody Bellinger were the first two East Valley high school players off the board on Day 2 of the Major League Baseball draft Friday.

As the draft party around him sat in dead silence, D.J. Peterson let out a primal yell and wrapped a bear hug around little brother, Dustin.

D.J. Peterson will be home from college soon, and little brother Dustin will be there waiting with a smile on his face and a paddle in his hand.

ORLANDO, Fla. — If there's ever been a summer to visit a theme park — or two, or three — this is it.

We can’t deny it any longer — hot temperatures are here to stay. Fend them off with a syrup-soaked fluff ball of shaved ice.

Spring sprang, and now summer has set in.

Whether it was emotion, momentum or just plain talent, no one would have been surprised if either Highland or Gilbert won the state boys volleyball championship on Saturday night.

Boys volleyball state championship

It took more than four hours, nine sets, and an upset of the No. 1 seed, to create an all-Gilbert final in the boys volleyball state tournament.

Cameron Dudley had a great view from the bench last year when the Gilbert boys volleyball team won the state title.

With a little adjustment – mental and strategic – the Brophy boys volleyball team's path in the postseason remains clear – the state quarterfinals are next, against a familiar foe.

After getting past No. 18 Ironwood Ridge in three games earlier in the day (25-17, 25-16, 25-19), No. 15 Hamilton ran into No. 2 Highland, who knocked the Huskies out of the second round of the boys state volleyball tournament, 25-17, 25-13, 25-18.

Boys volleyball state tournament outlook

There will be 589 graduates receiving diplomas from Gilbert High School this year.

Danielle Block has a hard time balancing the rigors of pitching and hitting.

What a difference a year makes.

The first round of the Division I state baseball tournament saw several upsets on Saturday.

Full planes were good to US Airways in the first quarter.

Fittingly for a guy who’s about to become “big time,” Dion Jordan’s life has been hectic.

Brophy Invitational

Red Mountain got a five-inning no-hitter from Marian Ruff as the Mountain Lions (21-5) beat Mesa, 11-0, on Tuesday.

Rick McConnell didn’t intend to spend the last 28 years coaching boys basketball at Dobson.