With March fast approaching, Valley residents and visitors have many things to look forward to like a nice cold beer on St. Patrick’s Day or Spring Break vacation plans. However, neither of these are quite as big as the return of Spring Training.

From March 3 to April 3, the Cactus League will take place in 11 different stadiums in the Valley and Tucson. Baseball fans will get a chance to see 15 Major League Baseball teams play daily for as little as $4.

Where to stay

While the tickets may be cheap, many visitors face most of their expenses when it comes to where to stay. Luckily, several hotels close to the stadiums are offering Spring Training packages.

The Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort in Chandler and Hertz Car Rentals have teamed up to bring Spring Training visitors a four-part package including a $99 Spring Baseball Room Rate, a rental car discount, two-for-one rounds of golf and a commemorative welcome gift. www.sanmarcosresort.com

Chicago Cubs fans have a choice of 13 different hotel locations that are offering a package for baseball fans. All the hotels are within 12 miles of Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium. They include the Dobson Ranch Inn, La Quinta Inn and Suites Superstition Springs, Hyatt Place Phoenix/Mesa and many more. www.visitmesa.com

The San Francisco Giants have also created packages for Spring Training visitors who will be heading to Scottsdale. This includes accommodation at one of nine beautiful Scottsdale hotels, a four-door car rental from Enterprise, a Giants dinner featuring a season preview with Giants players and staff, as well as tickets and other Giants services. www.sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com

What to do

Of course, everyone will be heading to the afternoon games but the Valley has plenty of things to do both before and after the midday matchups.

As the Los Angeles Angels play at the Tempe Diablo Stadium, visitors can enjoy the other attractions of Tempe while they wait for games. If you haven’t had enough sports, fans can pick up tickets to games at Arizona State University. For food and drinks, Mill Avenue, which is a couple blocks away, provides a variety of restaurants for any kind of craving.

Glendale will be home to both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. The ultimate sports fans can also go see the Phoenix Coyotes, who are having a great hockey season, in action at Jobing.com Arena.

For more information about the Cactus League Spring Training visit www.cactusleague.com.