SCOTIA — Matt Gallup pulled a hamstring near the end of his varsity baseball season at Christian Brothers Academy this spring, which nearly derailed his dream of securing a Division I college scholarship.

A strong fall season with the South Troy Dodgers, however, put him back on the radar of college coaches and a visit to the Stony Brook University campus clinched his decision.

Gallup, a Scotia native and a senior at CBA, has made a verbal commitment to pitch for Stony Brook beginning in 2012.

A right-handed pitcher who features a curveball and a changeup and whose fastball tops out at 89 miles per hour, Gallup posted a 3-0-1 record and 26 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched this fall for the Dodgers.

Gallup had previously committed to Liberty University prior to his hamstring injury and picked Stony Brook over Monmouth and a number of Northeast Conference schools.

Trevor LaCosse, a left-handed pitcher, who like Gallup is a senior at CBA, recently made a verbal commitment to pitch for Bryant University. 

LaCosse, a Watervliet native, appeared in 10 games for the Dodgers this fall, collecting two wins and posting 30 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. He appeared in the 2010 Don Mattingly 17-and-under American Amateur Baseball Congress World Series with the Dodgers in the summer.

Steve Basile, another member of the class of 2011 at CBA, made his verbal commitment to Iona College two weeks ago.

Gallup, who previously attended Schenectady Christian School, believes Mike Urbanski, the fourth member of the Brothers’ pitching staff, is also close to making his college decision.

CBA, which finished in second place in the Big 10 Conference behind La Salle Institute in 2010, advanced to the Section II Class AA quarterfinals before losing to South Colonie, 5-0.

“This year is going to be a big year, too,” Gallup said. “We only lost two guys from last year.”

Three other South Troy Dodgers players have also recently made verbal commitments. 

Nick Cioffi, a right-handed pitcher and Averill Park native, chose Towson University in Maryland. 

Patrick Zilberman, a left-handed pitcher at Niskayuna High School senior, picked Central Connecticut State.

Branden Cogswell, a senior shortstop at Shenendehowa, will play for the University of Virginia.

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Nick Cioffi pitches for the South Troy Dodgers this summer. (Photo provided).

AVERILL PARK — All it took was an official visit to Towson University for Averill Park native Nick Cioffi to be sold on the Tigers’ baseball program.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Cioffi said. “I took an official visit last week and I loved every single thing about it - the campus, the academics, the baseball program. I was down there for two days and they made me feel like I was part of the team.”

Tuesday evening, Cioffi, a senior at Averill Park High School, informed Towson head coach Mike Gottlieb of his verbal commitment to pitch for the Tigers beginning with the 2012 season.

Cioffi, a righthanded pitcher, guided Averill Park’s team to the Section II Class A championship game against Ichabod Crane this past spring. He posted a 7-2 record with a 1.89 ERA and 82 strikeouts against 18 walks in 59 innings during the high school season.

This summer and fall, he pitched for the South Troy Dodgers, compiling a 10-2-1 overall record with 79 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched.

Cioffi mixes in a slider with his fastball and offspeed pitches and routinely hits 84 to 87 miles per hour on the radar gun. Under the tutelage of Averill Park head coach Mike Conroy and South Troy Dodgers pitching coach Wayne Jones, who call all of his pitches, Cioffi has learned to become a pitcher, not just a thrower.

“I’ve always had pretty good velocity,” Cioffi said. “The last couple of years I leaned that I have to outthink the hitters and really focus on my location. I can’t just get away with throwing it as hard as I can, because the players at this level are going to hit it. I have to locate my pitches more.”

Cioffi also considered Iona, Marist, Rhode Island and Central Connecticut State before deciding on Towson. He plans on majoring in Business.

Towson University, located in Towson, Maryland, is about 10 miles north of Baltimore.

Former Schenectady High star and South Troy Dodgers player Casper Wells, who finished out the 2010 season as a major member of the Detroit Tigers’ outfield, played his college baseball at Towson.

With his senior year of high school and a season of summer baseball ahead of him before he heads to campus, Cioffi is glad to have the burden of the decision off his back. He’s hoping that helps him focus on the mound as soon as the snow melts in 2011 as well, perhaps pitching the Warriors back to Joe Bruno Stadium for another Section II championship game.

“It just helps to get it done with now,” Cioffi said. “I didn’t want to be a distraction during the season. We just want to get that bad taste out of our mouths and in a way, I think it might help. We want to achieve the goal of winning a sectional title and possibly even more.”

Nick Cioffi’s 2010 baseball card

Averill Park High School
W-L, ERA, IP, BB, SO, CG, SHO
7-2, 1.89, 59.0, 18, 82, 7, 4
South Troy Dodgers, summer
W-L, ERA, IP, BB, SO, H
6-2, 1.50, 42.0, 13, 49, 31
South Troy Dodgers, fall
W-L, ERA, IP, BB, SO, H
4-0-1, 1.00, 21.0, 3, 20, 10

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WATERVLIET — Steve Basile, a senior at Christian Brothers Academy and a member of the South Troy Dodgers' baseball program, has made his verbal commitment to pitch at Iona College, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Basile, a righthanded pitcher, chose Iona over MAAC rivals Fairfield and Siena and Central Connecticut, a member of the Northeast Conference.

“I took an official visit to Iona and I liked everything about it,” Basile said. “I really liked the coaches. I know their record hasn’t been great lately, but I think the program is improving and is about to turn it around. Coach (Pat) Carey (head coach) is very loyal to his players and that is important to me.”

Steve Basile pitches for Christian Brothers Academy in a game against La Salle Institute on May 13, 2010 at Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

A native of Watervliet, Basile led the Brothers to the quarterfinal round in the Section II Class AA tournament this spring and was a first team Big 10 Conference All-Star and a fifth-team All-State Class AA selection. Later in the summer, he appeared in the 17-and-under Don Mattingly World Series with the South Troy Dodgers.

Iona finished the 2010 season with a 9-40 record. Since 2002, the Gaels have posted an overall record of 120-322-1.

Basile improved his scholarship positioning in 2010 by improving from spring to summer to fall, figuring out the mental side of the game on the mound.

“I’ve always had good velocity, but I really learned how to pitch,” said Basile. “I learned how to get ahead and I learned what to do when I have a 0-2 count.”

Basile credited former CBA head coach Dave Doemel, South Troy Dodgers pitching coach Wayne Jones and Nick Davey, an assistant with the Albany Dutchmen of the New York Collegiate Baseball League with which he took lessons in improving his pitching technique.

Former CBA teammate Chris Sand and former La Salle Institute product Kyle Charron are both sophomores on the Iona team. Charron, a Schaghticoke native, and Sand, from Altamont, both played on South Troy Dodgers teams in the summer and fall as well.

“I’ve been a good friends of Chris’ for a long time. We played together when I was a sophomore at CBA,” Basile said. “It can only be a good thing for me and it can only help to already know some people when I get there.”

Basile plans on majoring in business at Iona.

Once the fall baseball season wraps up in a few weeks, it’s time for Basile to hit the ice. He is a center on the CBA hockey team.

“It was a really long process and it was starting to get old,” laughed Basile of his college search. “It’s a big weight off my shoulders.

“I have hockey season coming up at my school and I’m going to take a break from baseball for a couple of months, but I’ll get back into it later in the winter.”

Steve Basile's 2010 stat sheet:

High school, Christian Brothers Academy

3-3, 1.70 ERA, 41.0 IP, 42 SO, 10 BB

Summer, South Troy Dodgers

5-1, 1.11 ERA, 38.0 IP, 44 SO, 13 BB, 28 H

Fall, South Troy Dodgers

2-1-1, 1.65 ERA, 17.0 IP, 27 SO, 6 BB, 6 H

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 Troy native Joe Mahoney, right, accepts the Brooks Robinson award on Fri., Sept. 17 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Mahoney was named the Orioes' top minor league position player in 2010. (Photos provided by Todd Olszewski, Team Photographer, Baltimore Orioles).

TROY -- Joe Mahoney was in the Collar City Wednesday, making a brief pit stop at Geer Field to visit some of his former South Troy Dodgers coaches and teammates. He was on his way back from Baltimore, where he accepted the Brooks Robinson Award as the best position player in the Orioles' minor league system in 2010.

The Record will publish a story on Mahoney's journey through the minor leagues on Sunday, Sept. 26, so keep your eyes open for that.
 

Mahoney, who grew up playing for Catholic Central High School and the Lansingburgh Royals, played dozens of games at beautiful Knickerbacker Park in the 'Burgh. I was curious if Mahoney had used the Major League Baseball monument in the park, located just beyond the right field foul pole, as motivation during his career. It lists all of the Collar City natives who have gone on to play in the Major Leagues.

Mahoney said he never knew it was there.

The Major League Baseball Monument in Lansingburgh's Knickerbacker Park. (Record file photo).

The monument sits on a historic slice of real estate for Troy's baseball history. The city played host to a professional team in the 1860s and '70s known as the Troy Haymakers, who gave way to the Troy Trojans, a National League team that called the Collar City home from 1879 to 1882. The Trojans are widely considered the origin of today's San Francisco Giants. As professional baseball expanded into larger markets, the Trojans were disbanded following the 1882 season. About half of the members of the New York Gothams, later the New York Giants, were former Trojans players.

Anyway...

Mahoney is hoping to catch on either with Baltimore's AAA affiliate in Norfolk or the big club coming out of spring training in 2011. Of course, the Knickerbacker Park monument would have to be updated should Mahoney ever appear in a big league uniform.

Again, for more on that story, be sure to check out Sunday's edition of The Record.

Joe Mahoney’s baseball card

South Troy Dodgers (2003-05)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.411, 113, 380, 87, 156, 43, 4, 17, 138
University of Richmond (2005-07)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.310, 171, 672, 121, 208, 35, 2, 31, 152
Minor leagues
2007 – Aberdeen (short season Class A, New York-Penn League)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.269, 65, 242, 31, 65, 10, 2, 9, 44
2008 – Delmarva (long season Class A, South Atlantic League)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.222, 95, 352, 37, 78, 22, 1, 7, 61
2009 – Delmarva (108 games) & Frederick (seven games, High Class A, Carolina League)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.278, 115, 425, 63, 118, 20, 7, 8, 58
2010 – Frederick (72 games) & Bowie (52 games, Class AA Eastern League)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.307, 124, 462, 67, 142, 30, 2, 18, 78

For video clips from the Mahoney interview, visit www.troyrecord.com/video/sports

Mahoney, left, poses with Zach Britton, who earned the minor league Pitcher of the Year Award, which is named after Jim Palmer.

Local baseball players in the pros – 2010 report card

Pitchers

Eric Beaulac, SP (Troy High School)
2010 – St. Lucie (21 games, Class A, Florida State League) and Binghamton (two games, Class AA Eastern League)
Games, Starts, W-L, ERA, IP, K, BB
23, 21, 5-7, 3.98, 108.2, 79, 62

Greg Holle, RP (Christian Brothers Academy/South Troy Dodgers)
2010 – Arizona Brewers (Rookie Arizona Leauge)
Games, Starts, W-L, ERA, IP, K, BB
8, 1, 3-1, 0.79, 22.2, 16, 9

Tommy Kahnle, RP (Shaker High School/South Troy Dodgers)
2010 – Staten Island Yankees (short season Class A, New York-Penn League)
Games, W-L, ERA, IP, K, BB
11, 0-0, 0.56, 16.0, 25, 5

John Lannan, SP (Siena College)
2010 – Washington Nationals
Games, Starts, W-L, ERA, IP, K, BB
24, 24, 8-7, 4.58, 137.2, 68, 48

Mike Ness, CL (South Troy Dodgers)
2010 – Tri-City ValleyCats (short season Class A, New York-Penn League)
Games, Saves, W-L, ERA, IP, K, BB
24, 7, 2-2, 3.23, 30.2, 28, 9

Tim Stauffer, RP/SP (Saratoga Central Catholic High School/South Troy Dodgers)
2010 – San Diego Padres
Games, Starts, W-L, ERA, IP, K, BB
30, 5, 5-4, 1.95, 69.1, 52, 20

Position players

Anthony Giansanti, OF (Siena College)
2010 – Arizona Cubs (27 games, rookie Arizona League) & Peoria Cubs (30 games, Class A Midwest League)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.317, 57, 199, 26, 63, 12, 3, 2, 32

Brendan Harris, INF (Queensbury High School)
2010 – Minnesota Twins (43 games) & Rochester Red Wings (62 games, Class AAA International League)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.209, 105, 340, 42, 71, 17, 1, 5, 33

Casper Wells, OF (Schenectady High School/South Troy Dodgers)
2010 – Detroit Tigers (28 games) & Toledo Mud Hens (103 games, Class AAA, International League)
Avg., G, AB, R, H, 2b, 3b, HR, RBI
.250, 131, 456, 65, 114, 27, 6, 24, 60

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Player of the Year
David Roseboom, Sr., p/1b, La Salle Institute

2009 was a frustrating year for the La Salle Institute baseball team, which finished in third place in the Big 10 Conference standings after having won five titles in a row. So, too, was it a rough campaign for Dave Roseboom, who had won league MVP honors as a sophomore.

Even before his senior season began, Roseboom already knew where he would be attending college – the University of South Carolina-Upstate – and with that out of the way, he wanted one last shot at a Big 10 title. The hard-throwing lefthander posted a 6-1 record on the mound to go along with a 0.80 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 55 and one third innings pitched. The Cadets lost just one game in league play. Roseboom, a Pattersonville native, was on the hill for that game, as La Salle, playing with a suspension-shortened lineup, fell to Collar City rival Troy High.

He added another talent for the Cadets in 2010, too. For the first time since he was 14 years old, Roseboom picked up a bat and played first base on the days he was not pitching. He finished the season with a .426 batting average, driving in 14 runs on 23 hits.

To top it all off, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 47th round of the First Year Player Draft with the 1,433th pick. He’ll play this summer for the South Troy Dodgers’ 18-and-under Connie Mack team and will consider his options, but is likely to opt for three years at South Carolina-Upstate before reentering the draft.
The Record's 2010 HS Baseball All-Stars

HONORABLE MENTION
C: Joe Borowski (Sr., Schenectady), Mike Brewster (Jr., Hoosick Falls), Bryan Egan (Jr., Shaker), Brandon Galluppi (Sr., Shenendehowa), Tony Giroux (Soph., Greenwich), Mike Hipwell (Sr., Mechanicville), Matt Kasper (Sr., Columbia), Jake Luce (Jr., Lansingburgh).
1b: Nolan Driscoll (Jr., Catholic Central), Mason Duncan (Sr., Troy), David Wixted (Sr., Shenendehowa).
2b: Brendan DalCol (Jr., CBA), Zeb Gaston (Soph., Troy) Brady Talbot (Sr., Tamarac).
3b: Chris Davis (Sr., Saratoga Springs), Brett Fenton (Soph., Catholic Central), Seth Foster (Sr., Hoosick Falls), Matt Gallup (Jr., CBA), Stephen Proper (Sr., Columbia).
ss: Dan Bergami (Soph., Schalmont), Kyle Bestle (Soph., Tamarac), Matt Krogh (Sr., Troy), Zac Lennon (Jr., Waterford), Jack LeRoux (Soph., Catholic Central), Tyler Listing (Jr., Averill Park), Connor Mahan (Sr., Shaker), Jarrod Nash (Jr., Lansingburgh), Jimmy Quinn (Sr., Guilderland), Tanner Williams (Soph., Hoosick Falls).
of: Zach Andi (Sr., Schenectady), Luke Fauler (Jr., Saratoga Springs), Keaton Flint (Jr., Burnt Hills), Nate Foster (Sr., Saratoga Springs), Matt Mainello (Sr., La Salle), Kevin Pontore (Sr., Watervliet), Jordan Siriani (Jr., Chatham), Joe Snyder (Sr., Shaker), Nick Valetta (Jr., Niskayuna), Kyle Willmott (Jr., Saratoga Springs)
dh: Dennis Buckley (Sr., CBA), Josh Coreno (Sr., Mechanicville).
p: Chris Amorosi (Frosh., Schalmont), Caleb Barton (Sr., Loudonville Christian), Matt Butrym (Jr., Bishop Gibbons), Zach Carle (Sr., Cambridge), Matt Coleman (Sr., Saratoga Springs), Sam DeCelle (Soph., Mechanicville), Adam DeFruscio (Sr., Schenectady), Mike Doyle (Jr., Catholic Central), Adam Ferrannini (Sr., Hoosick Falls), Alex Grayson (Jr., Mechanicville), Brandon Legault (Soph., Watervliet), Alex Maestrianni (Jr., Ichabod Crane), Mike McFerran (Jr., Catholic Central), Mike Nowak (Sr., Shaker), Dan Nittenger (Jr., Watervliet), Eddy Pierce (Sr., Guilderland), Jesse Twiss (Jr., Troy), Mike Urbanski (Jr., CBA).

Coach of the Year
Don Glennan, Catholic Central High School

The Crusaders didn’t win the Big 10 Conference title in 2010 and they didn’t win a playoff game, either. But for Glennan, in his first year at the helm of the varsity squad, the 2010 season was a dream come true nonetheless.

A retired New York City firefighter with a gruff nature at first glance, Glennan had an infectiously positive attitude that motivated the team and kept their spirits up during a string of four come-from-behind wins early in the season.

After winning just two games in 2009, the Crusaders posted a 10-6 record in the league, which was good enough to qualify for the Section II Class AA playoffs. Catholic High lost an opening round game to Niskayuna, but the future remains bright for the North Troy Nine, who are hoping to compete on the Class A level in 2011.

First baseman Nolan Driscoll will be a senior in 2011, and the infield of Brad Adams (catcher), Brett Fenton (third base), Jack LeRoux (shortstop) and Mike Sunkes (second base) will all be juniors with years of varsity experience between them. The Crusaders have a long way to go to become a major factor in the Section II playoffs, but Glennan’s guidance has the group on the right track.

Note: The Record's All-Area team was published in the paper on June 27. I wanted to type up all the stats in Excel and transfer them to Scribd before posting it online. The softball team will be coming soon.

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This evening, the New York State Sportswriters Association announced the 2010 All-State high school baseball team. To see the complete list, please click here to visit http://www.newyorksportswriters.org

Section II players that made the cut have been listed below. The first number before a player's name indicates their year in school during the 2010 season.

Matt Zanotta, who set a Section II record with 18 home runs at Guilderland this spring, earned first team Class AA All-State honors. He plays summer baseball for the South Troy Dodgers. (Video capture by Will Montgomery - The Record).

Class AA

First team
12, 1B Matt Zanotta (Guilderland)
Second team
11, SS Branden Cogswell (Shenendehowa)
12, P/1B Dave Roseboom (La Salle)
Third team
11, P/SS Chris Kalica (Colonie)
12, 2B J.P. Sportman (La Salle)
Fourth team
12, C Will Remillard (La Salle)
10, OF Matt Sand (Albany CBA)
Fifth team
12, P Matt Coleman (Saratoga)
11, P/INF Steve Basile (Colonie)
Seventh team
11, P/3B Derek Gardella (Shaker)

Class A

Second team
12, P/SS Josh Ingham (Ichabod Crane)
Third team
11, P Nick Cioffi (Averill Park)
Fourth team
12, C Derick Horn (Ichabod Crane)
Fifth team
12, P/2B Joe Amorosi (Schalmont)
11, OF Keaton Flint (Burnt Hills)
Sixth team
10, OF Ryan McGrath (Lansingburgh)

Class B

Second team
12, OF Jayson Osborne (Granville)
12, SS Connor Hoagland (Granville)
Third team
11, C Jack Keller (Saratoga Catholic)
Fourth team
11, C Luke Nethaway (Fonda-Fultonville)
Fifth team
11, P/3B Dylan Anderson (Saratoga Catholic)
12, 2B Casey Rivera (Johnstown)

Class C

First team
12, P/OF Neil Fryer (Greenwich)
12, U D.J. Hoagboon (Mayfield)
Second team
12, U Mark Hanifin (Fort Plain)
12, U Tyler Barhydt (Fort Plain)
Third team
11, P Aaron Casper (Duanesburg)
Fourth team
10, 3B/P Cody LaFlamme (Hoosick Falls)

Class D

First team
11, 2B Jim Shevy (Fort Ann)
10, P Robert Sprague (Fort Ann)
Second team
12, C Dan Nassivera (Fort Ann)
11, P/SS Cody Broast (Germantown)
Third team
11, U Alex Malossi (Loudonville Christian)
11, C D.J. Lyons (Germantown)

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Former Colonie High and University at Albany star Brendan Rowland (above) was signed by the Atlanta Braves today. (Photo courtesy ualbanysports.com)

ALBANY – Brendan Rowland spent most of his college career patrolling right field at the University at Albany's Varsity Field.

One morning across town on the College of Saint Rose's Bob Bellizzi Field, however, made his life-long dream of becoming a professional baseball player come true.

Rowland attended the Atlanta Braves' New York State Free Agent Tryout camp at Saint Rose on June 12 at the urging of Brian DiPiazza, one of the Braves' associate scouts. He was subject to a typical barrage of tryout activities, including a 60-yard dash, defensive workouts and batting practice.

The Braves liked what they saw and Monday morning called Rowland to let him know they wished to sign him as a free agent and assign him to the Gulf Coast League Braves, a rookie league team based in Kissimmee, Fl.

“I was honestly just chasing my dream,” Rowland said of his ordeal at the tryout. “I was hoping I could impress somebody.”

He'll head to the Orlando area Wednesday to begin his assignment.

A three-year starter in the outfield for the Great Danes, Rowland held the team lead in batting average (.330), doubles (11), home runs (7) and RBI (39) at the end of the 2010 season.

As steady as he's been in the outfield, the Braves are looking at him as a catcher, the position in which stared at South Colonie High School.

“I caught through high school and I was recruited as a catcher,” said Rowland. “I only caught a few games my freshman year because I was stuck behind a few seniors, but I worked with a number of good catching coaches over there. Sophomore year, I started playing in the outfield all the time and I stuck there.”

Although he did not spend much time behind the plate in Albany, he did catch last summer for Fayetteville Swampdogs of the Coastal Plain League, a southern cousin to the prestigious Cape Cod League and the New York Collegiate Baseball League.

“They're (the Braves) taking me as a catcher. I'm signing as a catcher,” Rowland said. “If they need me in the outfield, I'm more than ready to help them out there, too. At this level, it's all about finding a spot you can succeed in.”

Rowland, an Albany native, thanked his parents, Mark and Kelly, for their support over the years. Life on the diamond is a family affair for the Rowlands. Brendan had an older brother that played at SUNY-Brockport and has a younger brother currently busy with summer All-Star teams. His younger sister, Casey, pitched the Colonie High softball team to a Section II Class AA title this spring.

“Our family is all competitive with each other,” he said. “Our parents encouraged us to do whatever we wanted and we all just kind of fell into sports.”

Big-leaguers such as Wes Helms and Adam Wainright got their starts with the GCL Braves. Rowland knows the majors are a long way off, but he's glad simply to be taking the first step on his professional journey.

“It was always my dream to play pro ball somewhere, somehow,” he said.

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La Salle Institute senior Dave Roseboom was named the Big 10 Conference's Most Valuable Player after going 6-1 with an 0.80 ERA, collecting 73 strikeouts in 55 and 1/3 innings. He also hit .426 with 14 RBI as the team's first baseman when he wasn't pitching. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Player of the Year - Dave Roseboom, Sr., lhp/1b, La Salle Institute

First team

Infield
J.P. Sportman - La Salle Institute
Stephen Richards - Albany High
Casey McPartlon - Christian Brothers Academy
Matt Butrym - Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons
Nick Bernardo - La Salle Institute

Outfield
Matt Sand - Christian Brothers Academy
Dom Loughlin - Catholic Central High School
Iziah McCowan - Troy High

Catcher
Will Remillard - La Salle Institute
Joe Borowski - Schenectady High

Pitcher
Steve Basile - Christian Brothers Academy
Adam DeFruscio - Schenectady High

Utility
Chris Jeffers - Bishop Maginn


Second team

Infield
Max Nagelsmith - Christian Brothers Academy
Nolan Driscoll - Catholic Central High School
Zach Remillard - La Salle Institute
Zach Andi - Schenectady High
Mason Duncan - Troy High

Outfield
Anibal Maldonado - Troy High
Austin Poulan - Amsterdam High
Matt Mainello - La Salle Institute

Catcher
Steve Zimmering - Albany High

Pitcher
Mike Doyle - Catholic Central High School
Jesse Twiss - Troy High
Kyle Rufer - Amsterdam High

Utility
Steve Ziter - Troy High
Dennis Buckley - Christian Brothers Academy

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Averill Park senior Nick Cioffi was named the Suburban Council's Pitcher of the Year for 2010. He finished the season with a 7-2 record (also one save), and a 1.89 ERA in 59 innings pitched. He struck out 82 batters against 18 walks and held opposing batters to a .165 batting average. He posted four shutouts in seven complete games.

Coach of the Year: (Three-way tie) Paul DeLuca, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake; John Furey, Niskayuna; Peter Mravlja, Shaker.

Pitcher of the Year: Nick Cioffi, Averill Park

Player of the Year: Matt Zanotta, Guilderland

First team
c, Brian O'Keefe, Colonie
1b, Matt Zanotta, Guilderland
mi, Branden Cogswell, Shenendehowa
mi, Bret Dennis, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
3b, Derek Gardella, Shaker
dh, Johnny Craig, Shenendehowa
util., Brian Guilder, Ballston Spa
of, Kyle Willmott, Saratoga Springs
of, Scott Buniak, Shenendehowa
of, Keaton Flint, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake

p, Nick Cioffi, Averill Park
p, Matt Coleman, Saratoga Springs
p, Chris Kalica, Colonie
p, Jeff Hoffman, Shaker

Second team
c, Brandon Galluppi, Shenendehowa
1b, David Wixted, Shenendehowa
mi, Sean Geisel, Guilderland
mi, Christian Brown, Columbia
3b, Andrew Kalish, Shenendehowa
dh, Dan Buff, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
util., Stephen Proper, Columbia
of, Nick Valetta, Niskayuna
of, Luke Fauler, Saratoga Springs
of, Luke Stark, Guilderland

p, John Prendergast, Shenendehowa
p, Matt Dempsey, Shenendehowa
p, Mike Nowak, Shaker
p, Corey Parks, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake

note: as voted on by the Suburban Council head coaches and submitted by Shenendehowa head coach James Carrese. (Dennis and Geisel were flip-flopped, as indicated by a correction sent in Friday afternoon).

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The Record's 2010 All-Area baseball and softball teams are being put together right now, but we're also looking for your input.

Which players deserve to make the cut? Who did you think was the Player of the Year? Which coach earned this year's Coach of the Year award?

I will be in touch with coaches to get their opinions and stats (coaches, if you're reading, please submit any nominations or numbers to me via troyrecordsports AT gmail DOT com) and I'll also be factoring in my notes and recollections from the season in determining which players will make the teams.

For now, cast your votes in the comments or send them to me via email. In a few days, I will post a poll listing the top vote-getters to see who the readers have picked as the Players and Coaches of the Year.

Here is your chance to have a say, so have at it!

(Update 10 a.m., June 18): Thanks for all of your responses so far. Keep them coming in the comments or via email. I can't promise that everyone will make the cut, but I will certainly give everyone consideration.

(Update, 1:30 p.m., June 21): We plan on publishing the All-Star section on Sunday, so please keep your nominations coming through Saturday. It will be a very tough job, but I'll do my best to slot all of these players where they belong, based on statistics, team success and input from coaches.

(Update, 6:45 p.m., June 23): Thanks again to all of you who have sent in your votes and comments for our All-Area teams which are set to be published on Sunday.
I have done my best to reach out to coaches and athletic directors, but there are still a few schools I yet to hear back from. I know some folks change phone numbers and emails over time, so my contacts list may not be up-to-date anymore. If you know these coaches or ADs, please let them know that I need their stats ASAP or I'll be forced to leave them on our honorable mention team.
Baseball: Heatly, Berlin, Mechanicville, Averill Park, Watervliet, Guilderland.
Softball: Troy, Shenendehowa, Berlin, Averill Park.

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Greenwich High School senior Neil Fryer, who will play next year at Siena College, was named the Wasaren League's MVP for the 2010 season in a vote by the league's head coaches. (Photo by Stan Hudy, The Saratogian).

MVP - Neil Fryer, Sr., Greenwich

First team
Jayson Osborne, Granville, Sr.
Connor Hoagland, Granville, Sr.
Cody LaFlamme, Hoosick Falls, Soph.
Ethan Macura, Granville, Sr.
Steve Backus, Schuylerville, Sr.
Tony Giroux, Greenwich, Soph.
Zach Carle, Cambridge, Sr.
Mike Vargus, Schuylerville, Jr.
Mike Resetar, Granville, Jr.

Second team
Tanner Williams, Hoosick Falls, Soph.
Seth Foster, Hoosick Falls, Sr.
Kyle Parmenter, Cambridge, Sr.
Dustin Lasky, Schuylerville, Sr.
Jason Flynn, Greenwich, Soph.
John Harrington, Greenwich, Jr.
Sean Ritter, Stillwater, Jr.
Brady Talbot, Tamarac, Sr.
Austin Bateman, Schuylerville, Sr.

Honorable mention team
Seth Frakes, Cambridge, Jr.
Jared Ford, Hoosic Valley, Jr.
Rylan VanPraag, Hoosic Valley, Jr.
Brian Byer, Stillwater, Sr.
Mike Drescher, Hoosic Valley, Sr.
Chris Braim, Schuylerville, Sr.
Kyle Bestle, Tamarac, So.
Adam Ferrannini, Hoosick Falls, Sr.
Mike Brewster, Hoosick Falls, Sr.
Joe Gravelle, Granville, Sr.
Cori Winch, Granville, Fr.
Chad Niles, Greenwich, Sr.
Ellory Harrington, Greenwich, Sr.
Collin McCormick, Greenwich, Sr.
Ryan Beck, Greenwich, Sr.
Tyler Pruiksma, Greenwich, Jr.

Note: As voted on by the league's head coaches and as submitted by Greenwich head coach Duke Beck.

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Branden Cogswell, a Shenendehowa High School junior who also plays for the South Troy Dodgers, was named to the ABCA All-Region team. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Branden Cogswell was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association's High School Region I team, which includes all of New York State and the six states in New England.

Here was Cogswell's high school stat line for the 2010 season:
POS., NAME, CLASS, SCHOOL, AB, R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, BA, SB
ss, Branden Cogswell, Jr., Shenendehowa, 66, 35, 28, 7, 0, 3, 27, .424, 3

He also drew 22 walks as opposing teams pitched around him.

He is drawing interest from ACC and Big East coaches and could be one of the area's next major league draft picks in 2011 unless he makes it clear that he plans to play in college.

Also, a trio of Section II coaches were named Region I coaches of the year.

Large schools: Doug LaValley, Guilderland.

Medium schools: Alphonse Lambert, Saratoga Central Catholic.

Small schools: Craig Phillips, Fort Plain. (Phillips was also selected in 2008. He is up for the national Small School Coach of the Year award, which will be voted upon during the College World Series).

The ABCA has 8,000 high school and college coaches in its ranks, but only 100 are from the northeast.

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The New York State Sportswriters Association has published its final 2010 high school baseball and softball rankings now that the final games have been played.

I've chopped out just the Section II teams, but for the full lists, please click on the links in red to visit the NYSSWA's site.

Baseball
2010 NYSSWA rankings (Final)

Class AA
4. Guilderland 16-10
19. Saratoga 15-9

Class A
6. Ichabod Crane-2 22-1

Class B
4. Saratoga Catholic-2 22-3
15. Granville-2 19-4

Class C
4. Greenwich-2 19-6
14. Fort Plain-2 17-4
19. Chatham-2 14-8

Class D
1. Fort Ann-2 21-2
10. Germantown-2 18-4
16. Fort Edward-2 12-6

Softball
2010 NYSSWA rankings (final)

Class AA
11: 17-9 Colonie
12: 20-1 Shenendehowa
18: 19-4 Bethlehem
24: 17-5 Columbia

Class A
7: 18-2 South Glens Falls-
16: 19-4 Ichabod Crane

Class B
2: 23-3 Mechanicville-2
5: 19-3 Taconic Hills-2
12: 15-6 Cohoes-2

Class C
3: 24-3 Hoosick Falls-2
9: 19-4 Duanesburg-2

Class D
4: 22-3 Germantown-2
6: 18-2 Hartford-2
13: 15-4 Fort Ann-2

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Greenwich senior pitcher Neil Fryer has committed to Siena College along with CBA senior Dennis Buckley. (Photo courtesy Stan Hudy, The Saratogian).

According to a press release just sent out by Siena College, Greenwich High School senior Neil Fryer will be playing his college ball in Loudonville.

From the release:

He comes from the strong Greenwich High School program and played his summer ball for the renowned Saratoga Stampede. Fryer helped Greenwich reach the New York High School State finals this past season.

“Neil is coming off an outstanding high school season where his team finished runner-up in the New York State Tournament,” Siena head coach Tony Rossi said. “He should see quality innings out of the bullpen initially and spot start. He has an outstanding fastball and curve and is an outstanding student as well.”

Dennis Buckley, another local product, just finished his senior season with the strong Christian Brothers Academy team. He started and relieved for the team this year, and with a fastball in the upper-80’s, he will be counted on to come out of the bullpen and provide quality innings.

“Dennis transferred from Colonie Central High School to Christian Brothers Academy where he played football as well as baseball,” Rossi said. “He will be a welcome addition to the bullpen where the hope is he will provide mid to late inning help. He should get quality time immediately.”

Five athletes recently made late signing period commitments to Siena. The group raises the incoming freshman class to 11 – the largest recruited class in the history of the program.

Adam Guinn (Norris, Tenn.), Neil Fryer (Greenwich, N.Y.), Richard Baerga (Pomona, N.Y.), Dennis Buckley (Albany, N.Y.) and Greg Wilson (Medford, Mass.) all committed to the program. They join: Matt O'Kipney (Liverpool, N.Y.), Jimmy Meindl (Old Bridge, N.J.), John Rooney (Syracuse, N.Y.), Tyler Bell (Cornwall, N.Y.), Vinnie Citro (Montclair, N.J.) and Kenny Kirshner (Cornwall, N.Y.) who committed to the program during the early signing period.

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La Salle Institute senior Dave Roseboom, seen here pitching against Catholic Central during the 2010 season, was drafted Wednesday by the Boston Red Sox in the 47th round. (Photo by Tom Killips - The Record).

TROY - Dave Roseboom had his summer all planned out.

The recent graduate of the La Salle Institute, a lefthanded pitcher, would spend a good deal of his time preparing for another run to the Connie Mack World Series with the South Troy Dodgers.

When we wasn’t busy on the diamond, he could start thinking about what college life was going to be like at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, where he is headed on a baseball scholarship.

Then the Boston Red Sox called.

The Red Sox selected Roseboom with the 1,433 pick in the 47th round of Wednesday’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft.

Now begins a summer of contemplation for the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Pattersonville native.
"Honestly, I’m going to sit back and relax," Roseboom said by telephone Wednesday evening. "This is an honor and this is a really big deal. Right now, I’m still going to college, but I’ll play baseball this summer and see what happens."

The Red Sox retain Roseboom’s rights until 11:59 p.m. on August 15 or until Roseboom enters South Carolina-Upstate on a full-time basis. Should he turn down an offer from the Red Sox, Roseboom would not be draft-eligible again until after his junior season at college.

"It’s an honor and I’m very grateful for it all," he said. "There are a million kids like me who would love to be drafted."

Roseboom, an 18-year-old starting pitcher whose fastball topped out in the mid-80 mile-per-hour range during the 2010 high school season, also features a big curveball and a changeup. He guided La Salle Institute to a regular season title in the Big 10 Conference.

He may try to follow in the footsteps of former Big 10 and South Troy Dodgers pitcher Greg Holle, who was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the 2010 draft after playing for three years at Texas Christian University. Holle, who was drafted in the 35th round straight out of Christian Brothers Academy in 2007, improved his draft stock with three years of college seasoning.

Former South Troy Dodgers pitcher Tim Stauffer, now with the San Diego Padres, was selected in the 36th round in the 2000 draft out of Saratoga Central Catholic, but after three years at the University of Richmond, was the No. 4 overall pick in 2003.

Tommy Kahnle, a Shaker High and South Troy product who was not drafted out of high school, was selected at the end of the fifth round in 2010 by the New York Yankees.

"I look up to those guys and I know them on a personal level as friends," Roseboom said. "It’s cool too have seen them come play for the organization that I play for. I’ve also had some great catchers over the years including Tom Murphy and Will Remillard."

Roseboom, who described himself as a life-long New York Yankees fan, will see what the summer of 2010 has to offer him before making a decision, but he’s already been in touch with the South Carolina-Upstate coaching staff.

"I got a call from the head coach and the strength and conditioning coach and they both congratulated me," he said. "But they both feel that with a lot of hard work down there I can do better. I think so too. I think that could help out a lot, but I’m just going to play summer baseball and see what happens in August."

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Ichabod Crane head coach Jack Brady (second from left) watches his team compete Tuesday afternoon against Whitesboro in the New York State Class A regional final at Bob Bellizzi Field in Albany. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Former Troy High head coach Jack Brady had a wonderful year at Ichabod Crane. Check out Wednesday's edition of The Record for a full story on his journey back into coaching.

Here are some excerpts from his players.

"Going into last year, we didn’t know what to expect or who our coach would be at first," senior catcher Derick Horn said. "He came in and he kind of brought a new attitude, or a swagger, as he would like to call it.

"Just over time, he got to know us and we got to know him. And coming into this year we felt really confident in our approach to our game and our philosophy," continued Horn. "We were able to have a really successful year and accomplish all of our goals. We won the Patroon Conference and a sectional championship. It was a great run."

"He’s a great guy," Ingham said. "He’ll wear his emotions on his sleeve and he’s taught me a lot about not only being a player, but just about being a good person. He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever met. He’s a great coach and an even better person."

Ichabod Crane lost the game, 8-4, but they still walked off the field as Patroon Conference and Section II champions, which was a point Brady was sure to make in his final on-field meeting with the team in 2010.

"Coach just kind of talked and reflected over the year and what a good job we’ve done and how we accomplished so much," Horn said. "He said, ‘we can walk off the field today, even though we didn’t win today, as champions.

"It shows a lot of Coach Brady, how he looks at us as champions even though we lost today’s game."

Click the box score to see a full-size image.

It was the first game I had seen at the new Plumeri Sports Complex in Albany and I was very pleased with the field and the setting. The only problem Tuesday was a lack of seating...which I would imagine would make a Section II playoff game with a pair of local teams a tough ticket. Other than that, it's a beautiful place to watch a ballgame.

Check out The Saratogian on Wednesday for stories on Greenwich and Spa Catholic moving on to the New York State Final Four in Class C and Class B, respectively.

Tuesday's scores:

BASEBALL

Class A regional final
Whitesboro 8, Ichabod Crane 4
Class B regional final
Saratoga Central Catholic 7, Potsdam 6
Class C regional final
Greenwich 7, Ticonderoga 3
Class D regional finalFort Ann 10, Chateaugay 1

Winners advance to NYS Final Four Saturday in Binghamton. Click here for brackets. Schedule below.
Class AA
Guilderland vs. McQuaid (Section V) at 1 p.m. at Binghamton UniversityClass B
Spa Catholic vs. JF Kennedy Catholic (Section I) at 10 a.m. at NYSEG Stadium
Class C
Greenwich vs. Valhalla (Section I) at 10 a.m. at Broome Community College

Class D
Fort Ann vs. Chapel Field (Section IX) at 10 a.m. at Conlon Field

SOFTBALL

Class AA regional final
Cicero-North Syracuse 1, Colonie 0

Colonie's Casey Rowland throws a pitch during Tuesday's regional final against Cicero-North Syracuse. The Garnet Raiders lost on an unearned run, watching their dream postseason run come to an end in Queensbury. (Photo by Ed Burke - For The Record).

Rowland was fantastic in the Section II playoffs, as the Garnet Raiders, the No. 9 seed, were an underdog every step of the way. She'll have a big following, and a big target on her back, in 2011.

"She’s the rock of our team and we love her," Colonie senior first baseman Laura Loudis said. "I can not wait to come watch her (next year). I know she’s going to do great things with her career."

For the full story, check out Andrew Santillo's account in Wednesday's edition of The Record.

Class A regional semifinal
South Glens Falls 5, Oneida
South Glens Falls will play Wednesday at SUNY Potsdam at 5:00 vs Massena

Hoosick Falls' Rachel Quackenbush (left) high-fives her catcher, Shelby Jones, during last Friday's victory over Duanesburg. The Panthers play Ticonderoga in Plattsburgh today at 5:30 p.m. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Wednesday's schedule - all games at SUNY-Plattsburgh

Class B- Mechanicville 1:00 vs. Peru
Class D- Germantown 3:15 vs. Crown Point
Class C- Hoosick Falls 5:30 vs. Ticonderoga

I'll have a preview story on Hoosick Falls' second straight trip to the regional round in Wednesday's edition of The Record.

A big part of the Panthers' success in 2010 is thanks to rookies like Jones, Alyssa Schneider and center fielder Samantha Skott, pictured below.


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Tommy Kahnle, seen here pitching for the South Troy Dodgers in the summer of 2008, was drafted by the New York Yankees with the final pick in the fifth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. (Photo by Mike McMahon - The Record).

Former Shaker High pitcher Tommy Kahnle was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the MLB draft this afternoon. He was the No. 175 pick.

He pitched Lynn University to a Division II championship a season ago and has been clocked at over 100 miles per hour in the Cape Cod League.

Prior to Kahnle's selection, former Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake pitcher Dave Filak was drafted by the Atlanta Braves as the No. 134 pick in the fourth round.

For more on the draft, check out Andrew Santillo's blog at therecordsports.blogspot.com

Update: After I had left the office for the afternoon, former Christian Brothers Academy star Greg Holle was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round.

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Baseball

Class AA regional
Guilderland 2, Auburn 0

Guilderland advances to NYS Final Four in Binghamton this weekend

Class A regional

Ichabod Crane 13, Massena 2

Ichabod Crane plays Whitesboro, Tuesday, 4:00 pm, Bellizi Field, @ St. Rose

Class B regional

Saratoga Catholic 6, Beekmantown 4

Saratoga Catholic plays Potsdam of Section X Tuesday at 4:00 pm at Bleecker Stadium in Albany

Class C regional

Greenwich 16, Norwood-Norfolk 0

Greenwich plays Ticonderoga of Section VII Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Veterans Park on Geyser Road in Saratoga Springs

Note: as submitted by Section II coordinator Al Roy

Softball

Class B
Mechanicville 4, Canton 3
Mechanicville will play Wednesday at SUNY Plattsburgh against Peru at 1:00 p.m.

Class C
Hoosick Falls will play Ticonderoga at 5:30 at SUNY Plattsburgh at 5:30 p.m.

Class D
Germantown 13, Heuvelton 5
Germantown will play on Wednesday at SUNY Plattsburg vs Crown Point at 3:15 p.m.

Note: As submitted by Section II coordinator Cathy Allen

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Friday's softball scores are coming in. I've entered them in the brackets below.
Class AA - Colonie 4, Bethlehem 3
Class A - South Glens Falls 3, Ichabod Crane 2 (10 innings)
Class B - Mechanicville 5, Taconic Hills 0
Class CC/C playoff - Hoosick Falls 1, Duanesburg 0 (9 innings)
Class D - Germantown 8, Hartford 2

And Friday's lone baseball game, the Class CC/C playoff:
Greenwich 7, Canajoharie 3

To see the New York State and regional round brackets, click here to be redirected to the NYSSWA's website, http://www.newyorksportswriters.org/

I will be bumping this post to the top of the list each night as the scores starting coming in. Click on the links below to see updated brackets.

2010 Section II baseball brackets:

Class AA
Class A
Class B
Class CC
Class C
Class D

--

2010 Section II softball brackets:

Class AA
Class A
Class B
Class CC
Class C
Class D

There are a number of sites for the softball games that are off the beaten path for some fans. Here are directions in Google Maps. Click on the link, click 'get directions' and enter your address to be directed to the field.

Veeder Park, Consaul Road and Kabalian Drive, Colonie.

Clifton Common, Clifton Park

Adirondack Sports Complex Dome, Queensbury

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Monday, 6/7
class AA - Guilderland vs Auburn (section III) at Bellizzi Field, St. Rose, 7:00 PM
class A - Ichabod Crane vs Massena (section X) at St Lawrence University, 4:30 PM
class B - Saratoga Catholic vs Beekmantown (section VII) at Bellizzi Field, St. Rose, 4:00 PM
class C - Greenwich or Canajoharie vs Brushton-Moriah or Norwook Norfolk, at Clarkson University, 4:30 PM
class D - BYE

Tuesday, 6/8
class AA - no game - Monday's winner advances to state semifinals
class A - if win Monday vs Whitsboro (section III), at Bellizzi Field, St. Rose, 4:00 PM
class B - if win Monday vs section 10, at Bleecker Stadium, Albany, 4:00 PM
class C - if win Monday vs Ticonderoga (section VII), at Veterans Park, Saratoga Springs, 4:00 PM
class D - at section VII, Plattsburgh State 4:00 PM or section X, SUNY Canton 4:30 PM

Note: As submitted by Section II baseball chairman Al Roy.

For full brackets from around the state, click here to see the New York State Sportswriters Association website.

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