Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium - Tucson Saguaros
- Meg Minard
- Jul 27
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 31
Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14
Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium 2500 E Ajo Way Tucson, AZ 85713
Year Opened: 1998 Capacity: 11,000
Summer Baseball at Kino
The Tucson Saguaros are members of the Independent Pecos League (baseball). They joined the League in 2016 and immediately won the Pecos League Championship in their first season.
The team has been successful, winning the championship again in 2020 and 2021, reaching the finals in 2022 and 2023, and having winning seasons in most of their years in the league. This 2025 season sees them playing in the postseason for the seventh straight year!
They have not been as successful in finding a permanent home. They’ve bounced around, playing their seasons at a variety of different venues throughout the years. The team began this tenancy at Kino Sports Complex, specifically Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, in 2023. I hope they stay here, as it’s one of the nicest facilities in the Pecos League.
Kino Sports Complex is a multi-use sports and cultural event center, the largest in southern Arizona. Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium was used for the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. The City of Tucson did an excellent job preparing the venue for this tournament. The maintenance crew tore up and relaid the field, and painted the support columns, dugouts, and bullpens with the WBC colors. The city also installed a new scoreboard prior to the WBC Qualifiers.
Fortunately, Saguaros fans and players benefit from all the upgrades and refurbishment.
The sports complex also hosts the USL2 FC Tucson soccer team, though not on the same field as the baseball games. A Mexican Pacific League baseball team is expected to play at Kino in the fall of 2025.
Food & Beverage 2
The game day staff operates one concession stand for Saguaros games. That stand offers the basics at reasonable prices: hot dogs and burgers run $4 - $6. Snacks of chips, candy, chocolates, and popsicles cost $2 - $3. Water and Coke brand soda (including Dr Pepper and Coke Zero) cost $2 - $3. Beer choices include Busch Light, Estrella, Michelob Ultra, and Barrios Citrazona IPA ($4 - $6).
Thursday home games are ‘Thirsty Thursday,’ when a select brand of beer is $2 a can.
The choices are enough to get you by for a game and more than what a fan would normally expect at a Pecos League game.
We recommend bringing a bottle of water as it gets H-O-T during these games in June and July.
Atmosphere 3
The Saguaros and the Sports Complex do a good job of providing comfortable, safe, entertaining baseball. Keep in mind, this is Arizona. Temperatures easily reach the triple digits, even for a 7pm game in late June and July. Bring sunscreen and water.
Fans enter the stadium onto the concourse and then proceed down to the seating area. Wheelchair and handicapped seating run along the top of the seating bowl on the concourse. The seats are faded green stadium fold-down seats with no cupholders, but an excellent amount of legroom. They are much more comfortable than they look. The outer concourses are closed off for Tucson Saguaros games. Shade covers the seating area in time for the opening pitch.
The stadium’s scoreboard sits beyond the left field wall. It provides the line score and the at-bat player’s number. I find reading the inning number information on the new scoreboard difficult, as those numbers are too small. Fans get a lovely view of the Catalina Mountains and beautiful colors as daylight transitions to dusk. Sit on the first base side to get the best view.
Music is played between innings and is not intrusive. The speakers line the overhang above the top row and the handicapped seats. The announcer does a decent job of calling the starting lineups. Nets extend down the baselines. The stadium does not offer net-free seating for Pecos League games.
Activities include a 50/50 raffle and kids running the bases after the third inning with Sticky, the mascot. The team has a ‘pass the hat’ for fans to drop in a few bucks after a player hits a home run or steals three or more bases. The players play for the joy of the game. The funds from the ‘passing of the hat’ go to the player to help with expenses.
Neighborhood 3
The stadium’s immediate neighbor is a hospital. The stadium is on the southern end of Tucson, with several places to dine or drink within a mile and many more a little farther. Fast food places like In-N-Out Burger, Raising Cane’s Chicken, and Rudy’s BBQ are nearby. For a local independent brewery a mile from Kino Stadium, try the Harbottle Brewing Company. Tucson has plenty of breweries and restaurants, so head downtown (about 4 – 5 miles) for other choices.
The Pima Air and Space Museum is six miles south and worth a visit. Four miles in the opposite direction are the Reid Park Zoo and the Randolph Dell Urich Golf Course (an 18-hole public golf course). Although not really close, the Saguaro National Park is worth visiting for its impressive views and scenery.
Value hotels like Motel 6, Days Inn, etc., line the I-10 exits north and south of the stadium exit. For more upscale lodging, head closer to downtown. I stayed at the Hotel McCoy, an eclectic, artsy, welcoming, restored 1960s motel about 5 miles from the stadium, and I recommend it.
Other spectator sports in Tucson during baseball season include the Tucson Sugar Skulls (indoor football) and FC Tucson (soccer).
Fans 3
While not a whole lot show up for games, the fans cheer well when the Saguaros make an impressive play defensively or at bat. Most fans throw out their own garbage vs. leaving it behind under the seats. Quite a few fans keep score, which is always a pleasure to see. The Saguaro mascot, Sticky, is one of the biggest fans of all. Plenty of fans sport the good-looking baseball cap and Tucson Saguaros shirts.

Access 4
Getting to and from Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium is easy via automobile, as it is right off Interstate 10. The stadium provides plenty of free covered parking in front of the venue’s Gate B entrance, the only open entrance for Saguaros games. The gate opens only 30 minutes before game time, which isn’t a lot of time for stadium journeyers, but enough for a Pecos League game.
Tucson Airport is five miles south of the venue. The city of Tucson has public transportation. Check SunTran for fares and schedules. Remember to check return schedules, as the bus system may shut down before the end of the game.
The ticket office is through the glass doors to the right of the ‘traditional’ box office, in front of the inflatable flapping saguaro. Fans can purchase team apparel there as well.

The stadium posts all kinds of rules on sandwich boards in front of Gate B, but getting through the security check is quite painless. Just bring your items in a 12” x 6” x 12” clear sports bag, and you’ll pass right through security.
Since attendance is not high, congestion isn’t an issue when walking around the concourse. Clean restrooms are open on both the first and third base concourses, as well as additional family restrooms. The accessible stalls are near the entrance. The ladies’ room has a changing table (not sure about the men’s room).
Return on Investment 4
Tickets are only $10 general admission ($8 for seniors). Fans can sit wherever they choose, roam around, and switch seats as desired. Parking is free. The food is inexpensive for stadium fare. Even the t-shirts are only $20. Baseball fans get an enjoyable, albeit warm, evening out.
The team hosts several theme nights throughout the season, like Summerween (Halloween in Summer), Harry Potter Night, Disney Night, Community Heroes Night, Christmas in July, etc. Fans should follow social media sites like Facebook to get theme night information, as it’s not posted on the team website.
Extras 3
Visitors still get a decorative ticket with the green and gold Saguaro logo.

The sprucing up of the facility and the city’s continued effort to do so deserve a mention. The Kino Sports Complex turf will undergo ‘fall overseeding’ to ensure optimal field conditions for all players and visitors, especially as the Mexican Pacific League team starts using the field.
The players and the team try to get involved in the community by participating in events like story times at a local library.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a resident of or a visitor to the Tucson area in June and July, be sure to check if the Saguaros are playing at home. Watching a game is an enjoyable, affordable way to spend an evening out.
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