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New Mexico was more than ready for its close up.

With ESPN showcasing the Land of Enchantment on Wednesday as part of its 鈥�50 States in 50 Days鈥� promotion, sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Triple-A baseball team played gracious hosts to the 鈥淲orldwide Leader in sa国际传媒官网网页入口.鈥�

And Isotopes Park took center stage 鈥� sa国际传媒官网网页入口Center stage.

As the first pitch of Wednesday鈥檚 game between the host Isotopes and visiting El Paso Chihuahuas was being thrown, at 12:05 p.m. on Wednesday, ESPN鈥檚 flagship news show sent the live broadcast from its Bristol, Connecticut, studio 鈥� which was, at the time, breaking news on the NBA鈥檚 New York Knicks hiring Mike Brown, ironically an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 resident himself 鈥� across the country to anchor Christine Williamson, who welcomed the sports world into sa国际传媒官网网页入口 live with the game being played behind her.

鈥淚 know it鈥檚 a big day for New York Knicks fans,鈥� Williams started off, clad in a crisp, white Isotopes jersey and sitting at a makeshift studio on the main concourse down the third base line with fans watching on. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also a very big day for fans of the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Isotopes, as they take on the El Paso Chihuahuas in 鈥楢lb-o-kwor-kee鈥� (sic), New Mexico, our fifth stop in our 鈥�50 States in 50 Days鈥� tour.鈥�

To be fair, pronouncing 鈥渟a国际传媒官网网页入口鈥� correctly one out of two times when reading it off a teleprompter, for a sports anchor from Tampa, Florida, who had never been to New Mexico prior to Tuesday, ain鈥檛 all that bad.

鈥淭hey (ESPN) said they couldn鈥檛 be more pleased and impressed with everything while they were here and that鈥檚 all credit to our staff for getting all this ready and helping set things up for the show,鈥� said Isotopes Vice President and General Manager John Traub. 鈥淚 was very pleased with how it all went because I could tell how pleased they were and how impressed with our state they were.鈥�

The Isotopes, by the way, tied a season high for runs scored, blasting the Chihuahuas 18-5 for their second win in as many games in the six-game homestand.

Over the course of the 60 minute sa国际传媒官网网页入口Center, the show bounced back and forth between ESPN鈥檚 Connecticut headquarters 鈥� where no fewer than seven people were frantically covering all angles of the Knicks hiring 鈥� and sa国际传媒官网网页入口 鈥� where Williamson aired some previously recorded segments about lowriders, hot air balloons and Isotopes players (Aaron Schunk and Sean Bouchard) explaining the Simpsons-based origins.

By the end of her first 24 hours in the state, and shortly after the sa国际传媒官网网页入口Center show wrapped up, she was asked if she would ever visit New Mexico again.

鈥淚 would!鈥� she said. 鈥淓very time I go to a new place, I鈥檓 always like, 鈥楥ould I see myself living here?鈥� And I totally could. I always try to see what the locals are doing. I go to the stores and see that kind of thing. I鈥檓 like, this is a vibe. I would totally come back.鈥�

The show also aired a segment that briefly sidestepped to break down Williamson鈥檚 good, but not great, ceremonial first pitch (more on that later) and the show ended with her standing in front of a table of chile-topped ballpark delights put together by Executive Chef Jim Griego for the occasion.

After Williamson tried Griego鈥檚 鈥減ig candy鈥� invention 鈥� burnt pork ends tossed in maple and brown sugar with chile added 鈥� she told reporters she looked forward to trying a lot more of the local cuisine before leaving town on Thursday.

Google to the rescue

So what does a young sports anchor who鈥檚 never been to, or really knew much about, the State of New Mexico do when she gets assigned the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 stop on the network鈥檚 summer-long cross-country tour?

鈥淚 Googled everything,鈥� Williamson said in an interview after the broadcast. 鈥淚鈥檝e traveled a lot in my life 鈥� played volleyball, traveled for volleyball when I was younger, and played volleyball in college as well. So I traveled (to) where I thought was everywhere, but I (had) never been to New Mexico. So when they told me I was going to New Mexico, I was like, okay, cool. What is there?鈥�

And did she fall into the same trap some others who haven鈥檛 had our state on their radar sometimes do and research whether she鈥檇 need a passport to get here?

鈥淚 knew that,鈥� she said with a chuckle. 鈥淚 mean, it is a part of the 鈥�50 States in 50 Days,鈥� so that鈥檚 kind of a giveaway.鈥�

About that first pitch

Williamson鈥檚 ceremonial first pitch was fine on Wednesday 鈥� a little high to Isotopes player Carson Palmquist, but it was fine.

But even she admitted it could have been better for a solid athlete and former college volleyball player at the University of Miami.

鈥淚 was just thinking, don鈥檛 embarrass myself, because that鈥檚 what everybody was saying,鈥� Williamson said about the first pitch 鈥� one she admitted she let too many people get into her head about. 鈥淟ast week I was on (ESPN鈥檚) campus, my boss was walking by and I was like, 鈥業 think I鈥檓 throwing the first pitch.鈥� And he was like, 鈥榊ou need to practice. Do not embarrass yourself.鈥欌��

Well, when she got to sa国际传媒官网网页入口, more advice came, including in the form of one tip from well-intentioned Isotopes play-by-play announcer Josh Suchon who warned her to just throw high. Often times, he warned, when someone throws out a first pitch, they throw it into the dirt and embarrass themselves, not unlike famous ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, whose 2023 first pitch at Yankees Stadium can still be found making the rounds online for bouncing several feet in front of home plate.

鈥淚f anyone is to blame about how high that was, it was him,鈥� Williamson said of Suchon鈥檚 pregame advice, though she did note she was happy to say Smith wouldn鈥檛 have anything to say about her pitch.