Sitting in a lounge chair, coffee in hand, it’s a balmy 75 degrees with a slight wind from the south at 8 Saturday morning.

Looking over the valley, the sights of cacti plants, towering palm trees and desert mountains are remarkable, keeping my mind off the fact that Duke didn’t make the Final Four.

That’s waking up in Scottsdale, Ariz., and I have to admit, it’s as nice as advertised.

Fortunately for my wife and me, we have friends who recently moved to Scottsdale, offering us the opportunity to visit for a short spring vacation.

Graduating from Condon High School in 1997, I became friends with Ione graduate Luke Swanson through sports, and then at Eastern Oregon University where we both attended college.

Unfortunately, Luke’s career has taken him away from Eastern Oregon, but as we remain close friends, the opportunity to visit him soon after he relocated to Scottsdale was a must for me.

Flying in Thursday evening, our Air Bus 320 gave me a spectacular sight of Bank One Ballpark filled with thousands of baseball fans, I was even more primed to take in an Arizona Diamondbacks game.

Friday afternoon we did just that, watching the Diamondbacks play host to the World Champion Boston Red Sox in a spring training game.

While it was intriguing to watch the defending champions play, the thing that impressed me the most was Bank One Ballpark. It seemed huge in comparison to Safeco Field, which is the home of the Seattle Mariners and a place I visit several times each year.

It also was only the fourth professional baseball stadium that I’ve been inside.

I’ve watched games in the Atlanta Braves’ former home, Fulton County Stadium, and their current complex, Turner Field.

Turner Field seats just over 50,000, but I’m not sure its stature is as large as Bank One Ballpark, which holds just over 49,000 at full capacity.

The enormous retractable dome on Bank One Ballpark was magnificent, and for $20 each, my group had excellent field seats in left field that gave us an up-close view of the game.

It was the first time anyone in my group had been to an Arizona game, and we were in awe of the stadium itself. Inside, we walked around several times prior to the first pitch while also watching Boston’s David Ortiz launch balls into the seats with ease during batting practice.

Boston, however, was unimpressive during the game as Arizona won 10-3 behind 2001 World Series hero Luis Gonzalez, who went 3 for 3 with two RBI.

Thankfully, I learned a couple things for my fantasy baseball team. Boston pitcher Tim Wakefield, who is famous for his knuckleball, will not be on my team this season.

Wakefield lasted just 2/3 of an inning Friday, allowing six earned runs in a very unimpressive performance.

Arizona’s Brandon Webb countered with a better effort, tossing six innings and fanning four to earn his second spring victory. After watching him pitch, he could get a start or two on my fantasy baseball squad.

The game itself was a great experience. The fans in Arizona filled the stadium for the most part, and the platter of barbecued chicken nachos that I wolfed was something worth a return trip.

Just across the street from Bank One Ballpark, sits America West Arena and home of the Phoenix Suns. After the game, learned that the Suns were hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves that evening.

We ventured over to the ticket window, but like a kid who doesn’t get what he wants, I walked away and pouted because the game was sold out.

I guess I wasn’t the only person that wanted to watch Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett battle the Suns, who are arguably the best team in the NBA.

Next time, I’ll plan my vacation a little better, scouting all the possibilities of my destination.

The buzz in Bank One on Friday afternoon was about the MLB opener that took place Sunday with the New York Yankees hosting Boston, followed by a slew of games taking place today to kick off the season.

I can’t imagine doing much more today than listening to the sounds MLB on television after my wife and I touch down in Portland and travel back home.

For now, I’m prepping myself for the Final Four, but as I write this column, the weather now is 80 degrees, and it’s time for a cannon ball.

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Joe McHaney is a sports writer for the East Oregonian.