SARATOGA SPRINGS — About 30 girls sat reverentially in a circle, awaiting instruction from one of the most talented softball players on the planet.

The scene unfolded at D-BAT Saratoga Springs, a baseball and softball training facility that opened in 2024. The academy’s guest of honor last Saturday, Kinzie Hansen, spent the day leading young softball players in catching and hitting clinics.

Hansen’s accolades are plentiful and include capturing a gold medal at the 2022 World Games, winning four-straight Women’s College World Series titles (her team was the first in college softball history to achieve this), catching for Team USA, and playing for the AUSL’s Oklahoma City Spark. Hyping her appearance, D-BAT owner Adam Britten called Hansen “one of the most successful softball players of our generation.”

Somewhere in her packed schedule (Hansen had to be in Chicago and then Oklahoma shortly after visiting the Spa City), the 24-year-old found time to train and mentor the next generation of softball players. Assisting her in this task were, among others, high schoolers Grace Schaefer from Spa Catholic and Kelsey Compositor from Saratoga Springs.

“There are only two things you can control: your attitude and your effort,” Hansen said in her opening remarks to the girls. In this clinic, Hansen focused on her specialty: catching. The position can be both physically and psychologically demanding. The entire team looks at the catcher throughout the game, and it’s the catcher’s job, Hansen said, to lead by example.

Another of Hansen’s commandments surely pleased the parents in the room. The softball star reminded the kids at her feet that “without [your parents], you probably wouldn’t be able to play the game that you love.” The circle of girls then turned towards the adults nearby and said “thank you, parents” in unison.

“It’s been really fun,” Hansen told Saratoga TODAY about her clinics at D-BAT. “A lot of the girls have been very engaged. I know that sometimes in the past clinics that I’ve done, some of the girls seem a little bit bored, but I think that today, almost every single girl that’s been here has been completely invested in what’s been going on. So that makes me very proud. We’ve had a lot of fun. I mean, I was sweating my butt off too while I was coaching them, so it’s been a really good time.”

Hansen continued, “Coming to these under-saturated areas where there’s not as many good softball training coaches, seeing the passion and the amount of girls that can show up is tremendous… The love for the game, it makes these young girls have confidence and find a purpose. I find it so interesting that a lot of young girls nowadays with social media, they can struggle sometimes with confidence and identity and things like that. But playing softball and having your sisters on your team, or a sisterhood of teammates, it can be tremendous for their development.”

As a former Oklahoma Sooner and current Oklahoma City Spark, Hansen said she was excited for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will include softball games played in Oklahoma City. Hansen’s sport will return to Olympic competition after being snubbed at the 2024 games in Paris.

“Oklahoma is like the mecca of softball,” Hansen declared. “We can fit almost 20,000 people in that stadium. So, I’m really excited for that to be packed out for Team USA. I don’t know another site in the country that can hold that many people for a softball field. Oklahoma is like my second family, so I’m excited to see the turnout for that.”

Perhaps one day, a girl from one of Hansen’s clinics will find themselves playing at softball’s mecca, too.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Mechanicville native Chad Brown notched his 3,000th career victory last Friday when his horse Zulu Kingdom won the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes at Keeneland.

“It was really special. I’ll always remember it,” Brown told the New York Racing Association (NYRA). “It was great to do it in a prestigious race like the Maker’s Mark and with a great horse that has been so consistent.”

According to Equibase, Brown’s career earnings total more than $334 million. He’s won five Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer and has been NYRA’s top trainer nine different years (2015-2022, 2024).

“It’s an achievement shared by so many team members past and present as well as our clients, jockeys, and horses,” Brown said. “It takes a lot over 18 1/2-years now of training horses and there’s so many important people in those groups I’ve mentioned and I’m very appreciative for that.”

Brown’s interest in horse racing was sparked by childhood visits to the Saratoga Race Course, and he accrued early experience in the industry at the local harness track. While studying animal science at Cornell University, Brown spent summers in Saratoga working under Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. Brown later struck out on his own in 2007. 

As of April 13, Brown’s lifetime stats included 12,117 starts; 3,001 wins; and a Win, Place, Show (WPS) percentage of 58.

Brown’s horse Emerging Market is currently ranked 8th on the 2026 Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — Local weightlifter Lucille Murphy defended her Masters National Champion title on April 11 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Murphy took second in the snatch lifting 75 kg and first in the clean and jerk lifting 96 kg. Her 171 kg total earned Murphy the gold overall and secured the second national title in her race for the Triple Crown. 

Murphy will compete at the New York State Championships in Binghamton in September and will compete for the final national title in December in Pleasanton, California.

Murphy currently serves as treasurer for the Saratoga Springs City School District.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Toga Dynasty, a fourth-grade boys basketball team from Saratoga Springs, won the New York State of Mind tournament championship last weekend.

After going 2-1 in pool play, with wins over the Oswego Buccaneers (28-16) and Halfmoon’s Elevate Wolfpack (40-37), Toga Dynasty advanced to the championship game, where it defeated Elevate again, 38-34, to capture the title.

The tournament was held April 11-12 in Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Nevada Smith, Siena University’s new men’s head basketball coach, appears to be fond of the Spa City.

According to the Times Union, Smith lived in Saratoga Springs for a time while coaching in the NBA’s G League (Smith also lists Saratoga as his current location on his LinkedIn page). Smith and his wife Lindsay celebrated their wedding at both St. Mary’s Church in Ballston Spa and the Saratoga National Golf Club. A Jan. 2024 article about Smith on Paint Touches, a Marquette basketball website, stated that Smith would “eventually love to find a spot somewhere in Saratoga Springs, where he spends time in the offseason, getting to simply be dad and husband.”

Smith was recently appointed the 20th head coach in Siena men’s basketball history after the previous head coach, Gerry McNamara, left Siena for Syracuse University. Last month, McNamara led the Saints to their first NCAA Division 1 “March Madness” appearance in 16 years. The No. 16 seed Siena were ousted by the No. 1 Duke in the first round of the tournament.

Smith was formally introduced at a press conference on April 7 in the MVP Arena atrium. He mentioned his time living in Saratoga. He also mentioned marrying his wife in Ballston Spa eight years ago before being corrected (apparently, it was closer to nine years ago). “It’s gonna be nine,” he said at the presser, to laughter from the audience.

“My family and I could not be more excited to arrive in the Capital Region and become a part of the Siena community,” Smith said in a statement. “I am honored and humbled to be able to lead this program, and build upon the momentum created by Gerry McNamara, his staff, and the great players who have proudly worn the Siena jersey throughout the years.”

The 45-year-old Smith has more than 22 years of coaching experience on his resume, with stints at both the collegiate and professional levels. He previously served, for eight seasons, as a head coach in the G League and at the NCAA Division III level. He spent the past six seasons working on staff at both Marquette (2021-26) and Texas (2020-21).

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS — Clifton Park native Logan Ryan will be fighting for a cure, literally, in the annual Haymakers for Hope charity boxing event on Thursday, May 7 at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. 

Ryan and 29 other fighters will step into the ring to combat cancer and raise money for their main beneficiary, The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

In preparation for fight night, each participating fighter was paired with a boxing gym and coach to guide them through the vigorous, four-month training cycle. All participants trained individually and within small groups, learning the fundamentals of the sport. The fights are sanctioned by USA Boxing and are scheduled to last for three two-minute rounds. 

Ryan, a 27-year-old financial advisor, will face a to-be-determined opponent. 

“Cancer has deeply impacted my family and so many people I love,” Ryan said on his fighter profile page. “Almost nine years ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Today, she has been cancer-free for eight years — a victory made possible by the incredible strides in cancer research. Her strength and resilience are a constant reminder of why this fight matters so much to me… This fight is about more than boxing. It’s about standing up, fighting back, and supporting those who need it most. Every punch thrown represents hope — for cures, for families, and for a future where fewer people have to bear the devastating effects of cancer.”

Haymakers for Hope is a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, care, and survivorship through organized charitable boxing events. Founded in 2010, Haymakers for Hope has helped raise nearly $42 million in its efforts to knock out cancer.