For parts of three weeks this month, Mesa Public Schools and the City of Mesa have offered high school baseball teams at all levels the chance to experience top-flight facilities with the use of HoHoKam Park for some regular season games.

Five of the six Mesa schools got to play at least one game there. So did some of the junior varsity and freshman teams at local schools. Also getting to play at the spring home of the Chicago Cubs were Desert Vista, Corona del Sol, Mountain Pointe and Marcos de Niza. Schools outside the East Valley -- Casa Grande and Alhambra -- also have or will get the opportunity to play there through April 19.

A chance for teams to get the big stadium feel many will experience if they advance at state in May. You know it's a memorable moment for kids and parents when after virtually every game  a team photo is taken to memorialize the experience.

Kudos to Mesa and and other cities (Surprise, Glendale, Phoenix and Scottsdale) this month and next  for providing spring training venues for high school kids to compete.