Female coach: D-back for day

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Ronnie Gajownik spent her Saturday afternoon as the bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It wasn’t until midgame she realized that was quite remarkable.

“It was awesome,” Gajownik said later. “I didn’t realize how big of a moment it was until (pitching coach Brent Strom) told me in the fifth inning, he’s like, ‘They’re doing articles all over about you. You’re trending!’”

The split-squad Diamondbacks lost to San Diego 5-4.

The 29-year-old Gajownik was hired during the offseason as manager of the D-backs minor league affiliate Hillsboro Hops. She’ll be the first woman to manage a Class High-A team.

Former University of New Mexico softball player Rachel Balkovec became the first woman to manage a minor league affiliate of a Major League Baseball team last year when she led the New York Yankees’ Class A Tampa Tarpons.

Etc. …

AUTO RACING: Austin Hill overtook Chandler Smith just before the final lap to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Las Vegas (Nevada) Motor Speedway. Smith, who was the pole-sitter, led 118 laps of the 200-lap race before Hill made his late charge.

SOCCER: In Colorado Springs, New Mexico United and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC played to a 0-0 draw on Saturday in United’s final friendly preseason match before the start of the 2023 season. United plays an intrasquad friendly this coming Saturday at Its Mesa del Sol training facility.

ISOTOPES: Singlegame tickets to all 75 Albuquerque Isotopes home games go on sale Monday at abqisotopes. com, ticketmaster.com or the Isotopes Park box office. The home opener is April 4 vs. Salt Lake.

HOCKEY: In Odessa, Texas, Tony Leahy had a goal and three assists in New Mexico’s 5-2 win over the Odessa Jackalopes on Saturday. The Ice Wolves’ next home game is March 24 against the Lone Star Brahmas.