SCHUYLERVILLE — The Schuylerville varsity baseball team enters 2023 with both high hopes and high expectations, coming off an appearance in the Class B state championship game last year.

The Black Horses won 20 games in 2022, defeating Ichabod Crane for the Section 2 Class B Championship before advancing to their second state championship since 2019. Head coach Darrin Renner said the deep postseason runs can act as a “program builder” for the team.

“Any time you can take a team that far, it’s really a program builder,” said Renner. “Which is basically what we saw in 2019. A lot of these guys were young and watched that. The hunger was there last year, we were able to pull the team together and go and have that success again.”

Senior outfielder Ashton Morris said it was “unbelievable” to experience last year’s playoff run. 

“This team has come together so much,” said Morris. “Everyone pushes each other to their limits and look where it got us.”

Brenden Steinberg, a junior pitcher, said he felt the team gained valuable experience during last season’s run.

“It was an amazing experience,” Steinberg said. “I think as a whole team, we learned a lot, and we’re ready to come back this year.”

Now, the Black Horses enter 2023 having graduated only three players from last year’s squad. While Renner acknowledged the three were “some valuable guys,” he said the team still has “a lot of guys who have gone through a successful season.”

“So far, the work ethic and leadership has been really spot-on of what we were hoping for and expecting,” said Renner.

Renner said Steinberg and Luke Sherman, along with Trevor French, will be key pieces of the Black Horses’ pitching staff this season. He also named senior first baseman Anthony Luzadis, junior third baseman Griffin Brophy, and Morris, the centerfielder, as other key players.

Renner said the team’s goal every season is simple: qualify for sectionals, and go from there.

“Last year, we had back a team that was 6-10 and ended up going all the way to the state championship game,” said Renner. “I think it also adds a nice element to the program, that the guys saw that we had so much success after a season where we were down. I think their expectations of themselves become higher. I think that’s a good thing.

“But as we go into this, we’ll think about sectionals first. Once we get there, we’ll take the next goal into consideration.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic varsity baseball team enters 2023 with a unique combination of youth and experience, looking to improve on its 2022 campaign.

Head coach Alphonse Lambert, entering his 35th season leading the Saints, said the team did not have any seniors last year, with nearly the entire team returning this season. Many of the Saints’ players have already spent multiple years at the varsity level, despite still being underclassmen.

“Some of these guys are entering their third year, even though they started in seventh or eighth grade, which is kind of amazing,” said Lambert. “A lot of these guys are kind of seasoned veterans in their sophomore year, because they’ve been playing since eighth grade.”

Lambert said he believes the team can compete in the Wasaren League this season, bolstered by strong pitching and defense. The Saints enter the season with a planned three-man pitching rotation of sophomores Ronan Rowe, Tyler Weygand, and freshman Pierce Byrne.

Ryan Gillis, Aidan Crowther, Kihl Kelly, Carson Moser, and Chris Lockwood will also be factors on the mound, Lambert said. The Saints’ head coach said the team’s defense should be another strength, backstopped by sophomore Hunter Fales, entering his third season as the team’s catcher.

“I think Hunter will be an asset behind the plate,” Lambert said. “I like our middle infield play, with (Ryan) Gillis and Tyler Weygand.”

Rowe said the team “learned a lot” in the 2022 season and is looking to build on their growth.

“It was definitely a build-off type of year,” said Rowe. “I think we’ll have more momentum coming into this year.”

“We’re just looking for improvement,” added Byrne. “We had a pretty good year last year, but there’s still a lot more we can improve.”

Lambert acknowledged the team will need to bring intensity every day, saying the Wasaren League is “no joke.”

“We have a goal this year, to take it one inning at a time,” said Lambert. “Here at Saratoga Catholic, our goal is always to be in the mix of things for a league championship.”

GLENS FALLS — The Adirondack Thunder will “Stick it to Cancer” with its annual fundraiser for the C.R. Wood Cancer Center on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25. The Capital Region’s professional hockey team will host a series of events supporting those impacted by the disease as they take on the Worcester Railers at the Cool Insuring Arena. The puck drops for both games at 7 p.m.

Since its inception in 2015, the Thunder’s “Stick it to Cancer” program has raised awareness and tens of thousands of dollars for local cancer programs. Through contributions from last year’s event alone, the team donated more than $31,000 to the Glens Falls Hospital’s cancer treatment facility.

“We’re proud to support the vital work of the C.R. Wood Cancer Center with these events,” said Adirondack Thunder President Jeff Mead. “Together with our incredible fans, we hope to top last year’s record fundraising total while honoring the lives and legacies of our neighbors and loved ones. The competition on the ice will be as fierce as ever, but this weekend is about much more than hockey as we gather as a community to stand up to this disease.”

Following Friday’s game, the Thunder invites fans to Paint the Ice Night, presented by Colorize. With a $10 donation to the C.R. Wood Cancer Center, guests can write a personal message or the name of a loved one affected by cancer on the ice. The messages will be sealed into the surface for Saturday evening’s contest.

At Saturday’s game, the first 1,000 fans will receive an exclusive Adirondack Thunder “Stick it to Cancer” t-shirt.

The Thunder will wear special purple “Stick it to Cancer” awareness jerseys throughout the weekend. After Saturday’s match-up, fans will have the opportunity to bid on the jerseys during a live auction, with all proceeds benefiting the C.R. Wood Cancer Center. Thunder players will be accompanied on the ice by local cancer survivors during this event.

 Cancer prevention, support and fundraising activities will take place throughout the weekend, beginning in the Cool Insuring Arena lobby prior to both games as the New York State Dental Association offers free oral cancer screenings. Fans who participate in a screening will be automatically entered into a raffle to win special Adirondack Thunder merchandise.

Tickets for “Stick it to Cancer” weekend or future home games can be purchased at ECHLthunder.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced the stakes schedule for the 2023 summer meet at the historic Saratoga Race Course, which will include 71 stakes worth $20.8 million in total purses.

Highlighted by the 154th renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 26 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 5, the 40-day summer meet will open on Thursday, July 13 and continue through Monday, Sept. 4.

Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from closing week, when the 2023 summer meet will conclude on Labor Day.

Saratoga Live, the acclaimed television show produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, will return for its eighth season to provide expansive on-site daily coverage of the summer meet to a nationwide audience on the networks of FOX Sports. 

Opening Day, Thursday, July 13, kicks off the season with the Grade 3, $175,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies with the following day to feature the $135,000 Wilton for sophomore fillies to be contested out of the Wilson Chute and the $150,000 Coronation Cup, a turf sprint for sophomore fillies.

Opening Weekend is highlighted by the first Grade 1 of the Saratoga season in the $500,000 Diana for turf fillies and mares on July 15. That day’s card will include the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford for juveniles on dirt; and the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso, formerly the Forbidden Apple, at one mile on turf for older horses.

Whitney Day on Saturday, August 5, provides a trio of Grade 1 events, led by the Whitney at 1 1/8 miles for older horses offering an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 4 at Santa Anita.

Completing the Grade 1s on Whitney Day will be the seven-furlong $500,000 Test for sophomore fillies and the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational, at 1 3/16-miles on turf for sophomores. Whitney Day will also include the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy for older turf sprinters, and the restricted $135,000 Lure at 1 1/16-miles on turf for older horses.

The Travers Festival, which offers nine stakes including six Grade 1s from Wednesday, August 23 through Saturday, August 26, is headlined by the 154th edition of the 1 1/4-mile Travers on Saturday, August 26. 

The lucrative Travers Day card features five Grade 1 stakes and an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup to the winner of the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer [Turf] and Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Handicap [Filly and Mare Sprint.]

The complete stakes schedule for the 2023 summer meet is available at www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule.

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA — Nate Keeve from the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) in Glenville took a 100 kg bronze medal at the Colombian Open on March 19. He earned 50 points and moved up to #98 in the world rankings, moving up seven spots. Keeve is still working his way back from ACL surgery a little over a year ago.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School graduate and two-time Olympian Nick Delpopolo placed seventh at 81 kg for the JMJC. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Team registration has opened for the 2023 Adult Saratoga Softball League. The league offers co-ed and men’s slow pitch softball. 

For fees and more information, please email saratogasoftballleague@gmail.com or go to www.LeagueLineup.com/SaratogaCoed.

The Saratoga Springs unified bowling team competed in the unified culminating event at Saratoga Strike Zone on March 9. The Blue Streaks placed fourth as a team. Bethlehem finished in first place, with Niskayuna in second and Columbia third.

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School graduate Hannah Martin took seventh place at the Tashkent Grand Slam, a main event on the International Judo Federation’s Judo Tour. 

Martin, from the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) in Glenville, jumped 8 spots on the 63kg world ranking list up to #34. Hannah has only been back a little over a year since taking two years off to have a baby, and with this result qualifies for the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, May 7-13, 2023. 

The JMJC has now qualified a remarkable 37 athletes for the Worlds and are likely to qualify more for Doha.

NEW YORK — A pair of athletes from Ballston Spa capped off strong indoor track seasons by setting school records at the NYSPHSAA Indoor Track Championships on March 4.

Isaiah Hannah finished third in the 55-meter hurdles at the indoor championships, with his time of 7.50 seconds setting a new Ballston Spa school record. Hannah advanced to the Nike Indoor Nationals over the weekend, placing eighth in both the 55-meter hurdles (7.66) and the 60-meter hurdles (8.17).

Ballston Spa head coach Garry Preece said Hannah got off to a great start at the state meet, noting the senior is “one of the hardest-working kids” he has coached.

“He’s just constantly lifting, trying to get stronger, working on his starts,” said Preece. “That race, he attacked it. … It was very impressive.”

Harriet Healey placed seventh in the 300-meter (40.31), also setting her own school record. Preece said it was great to see Healey reach a podium after competing on the Section 2 Intersectional relay team at the 2022 state meet.

Healey’s personal record in the 300-meter entering this season was 42.29 seconds, according to results posted on athletic.net. Preece said Healey cut her time down to 41.52 seconds at a meet in Boston earlier this year before setting the school record at the state meet.

“She ran in Boston this year, she ran 41.52. It was almost a whole second faster than the year before, her previous PR,” Preece said. “Then, all of a sudden, she ran a 40.31 at the state meet, she ran another second faster. She’s crushing it this year with getting that time down.”

Preece said it was a successful indoor season, noting that in addition to the record-setting efforts of Hannah and Healey, the teams had strong seasons as a whole.

“We had our banquet (March 8), and I mentioned, if you go to MileSplit and you look at our team, you see PR after PR,” said Preece. “And we have such a young team. The girls have a very, very young team, and so do the boys.”

The Scotties’ boys and girls teams saw several highlights throughout the winter, including a sweep at the Viking Games at Hudson Valley Community College on Jan. 15. Preece said it was the first time both teams had won the invitational.

“It was a huge year,” Preece said. “There were a lot of great accomplishments.”