SARATOGA SPRINGS — It feels like Skidmore baseball is everywhere these days. 

Last year, Thoroughbreds catcher Jackson Hornung became the first athlete in school history to be drafted by a professional team when he was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB Draft. Last week, former Skidmore pitching coach Mike McFerran was hired by the Oakland Athletics. As the college’s baseball program steps into the spotlight, recruiting talented players is getting easier. “We’ve seen just in terms of the overall quality of recruits, I think it’s gone up a tick certainly,” said Head Coach Ron Plourde.

With a bright horizon, Skidmore is preparing for its first game of the season on March 2 at Baruch College. “I think we have very high expectations,” Plourde said. “Despite graduating a really talented group of seniors, the bulk of our pitching is back, and we have a really good core of returners.” Although the Thoroughbreds have won recent division championships, their goal this season is to “make a good run at a Liberty League championship,” Plourde said.

With only a couple weeks until opening day, the team is looking to solidify a few positions. “Our middle infield had a complete turnover so that’s an area that we’re looking to replace,” Plourde said. “Aside from first base, we’re wide open at short, second, and third.”

The third spot in the starting rotation is also up for grabs. “We should know by the end of our Florida trip who that third guy is,” Plourde said. Skidmore is scheduled to play nine games in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida beginning March 10.

This year’s roster also features a whopping 11 freshmen, at least one or two of whom may earn some significant playing time this season.

Coach Plourde shared his team’s full roster with Saratoga TODAY:

BALLSTON SPA — “Baseball is undoubtedly a pure American game, and its birthplace Cooperstown, New York, and Abner Doubleday entitled to first honor of its invention.” Abner Graves wrote these words in a letter to the editor of the Beacon Journal newspaper in 1905. Graves’ letter changed baseball history, but it was all a lie.

“This is a great example of fake news,” said Ballston Town Historian Rick Reynolds. “Fake news can take on its own life and become reality.”

Graves’ letter was written in response to Albert Spalding, founder of the Spalding sporting goods company, who was attempting to discover baseball’s origins. “Spalding felt that there needed to be a beginning for baseball, so he established a commission,” Reynolds said. Graves heard about this commission and “made up this story that Abner Doubleday was the beginning of baseball.”

Not only was Doubleday not the inventor of baseball, there’s scant evidence he had anything to do with baseball period. “He kept incredible diaries and journals of his life,” Reynolds said. “Never in any of his journals or any of his writings is baseball or anything like baseball ever mentioned.”

Doubleday is a significant figure not just in American history, but also in Ballston Spa. At 28 Washington Street stands a yellow house, now The Real McCoy brewery, that a historical marker declares is the birthplace of Major-General Abner Doubleday. The sign calls him “the founder of baseball.” 

The sign might be inaccurate on two counts. Not only is Doubleday not the inventor of baseball, but recently there’s been some doubt as to whether the house was actually his birthplace. “There’s pretty much definitive evidence that he lived there at some point, but whether he was born there is another issue,” Reynolds said.

Regardless of where Doubleday was born, he is probably the most consequential figure in American history to have lived in Ballston Spa. Doubleday was second-in-command at Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began. He was wounded at the Battle of Antietam. He commanded the second infantry division at the Battle of Gettysburg. After the war, Doubleday was a steadfast supporter of Abraham Lincoln, and accompanied the 16th president on a train ride prior to the Gettysburg Address. 

Despite this remarkable life, Doubleday is most remembered for Graves’ fictionalized account of baseball’s invention. “The Ridiculous 6,” a Netflix comedy starring Adam Sandler, lampoons Doubleday as making up baseball’s rules on the spot. In 1939, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was established in Cooperstown, thanks in large part to Graves’ letter. As recently as 1957, Ballston Spa featured a float in its sesquicentennial parade proudly declaring the Civil War hero to be the “founder of baseball.”

The true story of baseball’s creation is complex. Some historians point to 1840s New York City as the origin. Others believe the game evolved from 18th-century England, where a similar game called rounders was played. Hundreds of years ago, in both Massachusetts and the Carolinas, athletes were hitting balls with something resembling a baseball bat. The truth is that baseball probably evolved over time, in multiple places, as games played with bats and balls grew in popularity. 

Nonetheless, the sign declaring Abner Doubleday to be the sport’s founder still stands in Ballston Spa. Also still standing is Doubleday Field, a stadium at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, where baseball was not invented.

“Americans like finality,” Reynolds said. “We like to know answers to things, and sometimes there are no answers for sure.” 

SCHUYLERVILLE — The Schuylerville High School girls’ indoor track and field team won this year’s Division III sectionals, defeating Scotia-Glenville 93-82.

Sectional individual champions included Meaghan Lynch (55m, Long Jump), Keira Rogan (1000m, 1500m, 3000m), and Ryan Stark (Pole Vault). Rogan set a school record of 3:09:49 in the 1000m, and Lynch earned a new school record in the triple jump with 34’ 10.75”.

UTICA — With a 14-0 record, and a dogged determination to capture a state title, the Adirondack United have concluded one of the most impressive seasons among all local sports teams. At the Nexus Center in Utica last Friday, the United was crowned New York State regional champions after a 7-3 win over Kenmore-Grand Island.

The United started the title game on the wrong foot, falling behind 2-0 in the first period. But it wasn’t long before the team rebounded and finished with a dominant victory.

The bout capped off a busy post-season week for the United. On February 14, they advanced to the state final four after an 8-1 win against the North Avalanche at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls. Then on February 16, they defeated Skaneateles 6-1 in Utica in the state semifinals.

This season was only the second year that the United have existed. In their inaugural season, they finished with a 19-2 record but lost to Clinton in the state title game, 2-1. Earlier this season, the United got a taste of revenge when they beat Clinton 4-1.

“I don’t think we’re really getting caught up in any individual game because their goal is really pointing toward the end of the season,” Coach Jeff Willis told Saratoga TODAY after the United’s win against Clinton. It appears the team’s focus on winning a state championship paid off.

LATHAM — The Saratoga Springs gymnastics team won its 22nd-straight Section 2 championship last week at Shaker High School in Latham. The Blue Streaks took first place in vault, uneven bars, floor, and all around. 

The Section 2 championship team includes Lily McKinley, Ellie Ott, Maddy Austin, Ayla Skinner, Alyssa Caiano, Kate Browne, Miranda Putorti, Gia DiMaggio, Nicole Fitzgerald, Makenzie Lanning, and Isabella Trimarchi.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last week, the Saratoga Springs Professional Firefighters hockey team played against the Troy Firefighters IAFF Local 86 in a benefit game to raise funds for the family of Schenectady Fire Department Lieutenant Mark Barkyoumb. According to Saratoga firefighter Chris Stewart, over $15,000 was raised for Barkyoumb’s family. The Saratoga and Troy hockey teams will face off again on March 21 at the Weibel Ice Rink at 6 p.m.

Barkyoumb passed away unexpectedly last month while off duty. He was 38 years old, and a married father of four. Barkyoumb most recently served as the Lieutenant of Rescue One on the 2nd Platoon of the Schenectady Fire Department.

Three players on the Saratoga Fire hockey team worked with Barkyoumb as members of the Schenectady Fire Department.

LAKE PLACID — The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup was held at the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid last weekend. Austria’s Stefan Kraft was the event’s big winner, earning titles in both the super team competition and the individual competition.

TUNIS, TUNISIA — Melissa Myers from the Jason Morris Judo Center in Glenville captured a Gold medal at the Tunis African Open on February 11. Myers went 4-0 in the 70kg division. 

The Tunis Open was the final event of a three-week tour in which Myers competed at the Grand Prix in Portugal and at the Paris Grand Slam in France. After Tunis, Myers’ world ranking improved to a career-high #73. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Skidmore College Thoroughbreds baseball team announced last week its captains for the upcoming season: outfielder Jaden Torrado, lefty pitcher Ameer Hasan, and catcher/infielder Trey Bourque. The team also held its 2024 media day three days prior.

Last year, catcher Jackson Hornung became the first Skidmore athlete to be drafted by a professional team when he was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 16th round of the MLB Draft.