Friday, the Lansingburgh Royals 13-and-under baseball team begins play in the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament in Valley Falls. This team has been building for the future for quite some time...and they believe the future is now.

Connor McDonough (red helmet) leads off first base as Jarred Jarosz holds him on during practice Thursday afternoon at Turnpike Elementary School. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

TROY — For all of the baseball experience the members of the Lansingburgh Royals 13-and-under baseball team might have, they still have to be individually reminded to bring their bug spray and sunscreen, which was exactly what happened prior to Thursday’s practice at Turnpike Elementary School.

Elijah Burns, Luke Fane, Jarred Jarosz and Connor McDonough, all of whom played on the team last summer as 12-year-olds, might be just one year removed from Little League, but they’ve already got big league expectations.

“We all started out together and played all-stars together,” said Jarosz, the team’s leading strikeout artist on the mound. “We’re all from around here, so we all know each other and have team chemistry together and stuff like that.”

Today, the Royals begin play in the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament at Chapko-Lewis Stadium in Valley Falls. The Royals, by way of a random draw, received a first round bye Thursday.

Tim McDonough and Eric Kennedy, who split different aspects of the head coaching duties, both played for the Royals in their younger days and they’re looking to pass on the tradition of Lansingburgh baseball to the next generation.

Lansingburgh Royals 13-and-under co-head coach Eric Kennedy points something out during Thursday's practice. Kennedy played for the Royals as a youth and graduated from Lansingburgh High School in 2008.

In fact, they’ve teamed up yet again with assistant Vic Begin, who also helped with Knickerbacker Middle School’s modified team this spring. That team went 13-0 in league play and won the Colonial Council regular season championship.

Most of those players compete with the Royals in the summer and look up to coaches like Kennedy, who played in six state tournaments during his Royals tenure.

“Honestly, I think the kids really relate to me a lot better. I’m still young,” said Kennedy. “I’m old enough to be their coach, but I’m still a kid. I have fun with these guys, joke around and lighten them up so they don’t play so tense.”

Kennedy (pictured above) graduated from Lansingburgh High School in 2008 and recently finished his two-year program at Hudson Valley Community College. He’ll head to SUNY-Cortland in the fall to pursue his degree in physical education.

"You have to give him a lot of credit," coach McDonough said. "He doesn’t have to be here. And the modified team, he didn’t have to do that. He could just be worried about a job, his girlfriend and college. He gives it 100%."

The coaching staff have put the group through a great deal since January. Saturday nights, they headed to the Hayner Brothers complex in Halfmoon. Sunday morning, it was time for a conditioning session with Mike Grasso and the Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, they hit the weight room.

The schedule has been tough on Kennedy, who could certainly be doing other things with his time.

"Honestly, my friends get a little angry," he said. "They have to wait for me for us to go do something, like play basketball. They’re always waiting around for me, saying, ‘won’t this season just get over with?’

"But I enjoy it. This is my commitment and this is what I want to do with my life," he continued.
"I’m going to be going into phys ed and I want to be a coach and this is a good start and this helps my future."

Still, many of the players continue to excel in other sports. A large chunk of the team will also play soccer for the Knights this fall.

"I played Royals. I played high school. All my life, I’ve played baseball," said Kennedy. "It’s just something I love. I got into modified two years ago and volunteered here two years ago. I loved this group of kids here. They’re the ones that make me come back. They’re just a special group."

Royals players and coaches work on a baserunning drill during Thursday's practice on the Turnpike Elementary School field.

“With the great variety of coaches we have, it’s easier to interact and connect with the coaches,” said imposing first baseman Elijah Burns, who towers over his teammates. “It’s much easier than having one coach or two coaches.”

Burns, who lives two houses across the Lansingburgh border into the Troy High School district, will attend La Salle Institute this fall and plays basketball during the winter months.

Jarred Jarosz, left, and Elijah Burns, right, talk about their hopes for the upcoming Sandy Koufax Tournament prior to Thursday's practice.

One issue for the Royals in this upcoming tournament will be a dimensions shift. During the modified season, the players competed on a standard 90-foot diamond and threw off a mound 60 feet, six inches away. Now, the bases are 80 feet apart and the pitcher's mound is a mere 54 feet away.

The transition to modified ball was tough on the baserunners, coach McDonough said. A number of runners were picked off early in the year, trying to get a feel for just how big of a lead they could take without being caught.

McDonough, 49, watched his three older daughters – righthanded hitters all - play softball and twisted his son, Connor, into a lefthanded hitter at a young age. He hit .458 and stole 33 bases through 23 games. The Royals finished 12-11 in the regular season playing against teams from much larger towns such as Clifton Park, Colonie and Guilderland.

Connor McDonough ponders an answer to a question at the Lansingburgh Royals practice Thursday.

“I tried righty before, but it’s just not natural for me,” the younger McDonough, the Royals’ leadoff hitter and centerfielder, said, blinking through his glasses. “It’s a lot easier lefty, I think.”

McDonough played 94 baseball games in 2009, getting over 400 at-bats. His father said that has made Connor become a much better hitter. The rest of the players agree that the extra effort has paid off.

“It’s just hard work,” said Burns. “If you keep working at it, you get better.”

If Lansingburgh does not win the Upper New York State Tournament this weekend, it will have the option of playing in the Empire Tournament, which features mostly Suburban Council-town teams. The Royals may have experience on and off the field, but they’ve also got the competitive spirit that comes with constantly being viewed as the underdog.

“We just have to go out and play as well as we can and take it game-by-game and try to win it, said Jarosz. “If we don’t, we’re still going to have fun doing it. We have another tournament after this, so we’re going to win one of them. We’re going to try.”

"With the Royals, we really try to develop them as soon as we can, as young as they can," Kennedy said. "These guys will work hard. These guys will run through a brick wall for you. They are hard-working kids who want to get better. Whatever you give them, they’ll take that and absorb it.

"And one day, I think this team will be playing for a state championship in high school, I really do," Kennedy continued. "They’re just always working hard, 110%. They just never quit."

For video from this story, click here.

Lansingburgh Royals 13u Hitting and Pitching 2010

---
In other news, to read an article Andrew Santillo wrote on the first class in the Capital District High School Football Hall of Fame that ran in Thursday's paper, click here.

Follow OTR: Twitter
Facebook
iTunes video podcast
RSS feed for links to blog posts as soon as they are published

The 14-and-under South Troy Dodgers' Sandy Koufax team needed to win just one game against Bethelehem without losing twice to clinch the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax title and earn a berth to the regional round. The Dodgers lost the first game, but won big in the second. Our Ryan Kircher was there to report on the game.

South Troy Dodgers catcher Ryan Henchey tags out Bethlehem Eagles' Connor Morelli at home plate in the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament championship series Sunday at Chapko-Lewis Stadium in Valley Falls. (Photos by Jeff Couch - The Record).

VALLEY FALLS -- The South Troy Dodgers 14-and-under squad, locked in a battle of attrition, simply wore out its opponent. The Dodgers dropped their first game 10-9 to the Bethlehem Eagles but bounced back in a major way to take the second game 14-2 at Chapko-Lewis Stadium.

With the victory South Troy earned the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament championship and a berth in the North Atlantic Regionals at Bought Field in Colonie on Thursday.

Playing two games on Sunday wasn’t the way the Dodgers drew it up but after the loss forced a second and deciding game the teams depth pulled them though.

The game one loss was the first of the tournament for the Dodgers but it had little carryover effect on the team.

"We spent the in-between time of the games in the dugout thinking about what we could’ve done better and what we needed to do in the next game," Dodgers center fielder Mike Mannix said.

"The first game we gave up nine runs and I don’t think we gave up that many the whole tournament," South Troy head coach Mike Brinkman said. "We scored nine and still lost the game. That’s a tough team (Bethlehem) over there. They hit the ball really well this morning and the score of the second game was not indicative of the kind of game it was. It was the 3-2 until the fifth inning but we hit the ball when we had to hit the ball and they kind of ran out of pitching and we jumped on that opportunity."

Greg Kelley was 4-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI’s in game one.

"Everybody just kept putting it in play," Kelley said of the Dodgers offensive attack. "The pitcher just kept put¬ting it right on the plate and we hit it."

Kelley lost to the Dodgers last year as a member of the Devilcats. This year he’s happy for the opportunity to advance to regionals.

"Last year I was preparing to play these guys," he said. "I’m very excited."

South Troy's Tom Carrigan slides in front of Bethlehem's Connor Morelli during Sunday's Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament championship series Sunday at Chapko-Lewis Stadium in Valley Falls.

For the full story, check out Monday's edition of The Record.

Follow OTR: Twitter
Facebook
iTunes video podcast
RSS feed for links to blog posts as soon as they are published

Record photographer J.S. Carras captured a series of images when Nolan Gaige hit a three-run home run in the third inning of Friday's pool play game against the Hudson Valley Renegades in the Connie Mack World Series Qualifier played at Geer Field. For video of the hit and full standings after two days of play, scroll below.

Gaige makes contact with the pitch from Hudson Valley's Mike Choros.

Gaige rounds third, knowing what's awaiting him at the plate...

Members of the South Troy Dodgers team congratulate Gaige on his three-run home run in the third inning.

Nolan Gaige, a lefthanded throwing and hitting outfielder and pitcher for South Troy, collected three of the Dodgers’ five hits in the victory over Hudson Valley. His home run was a towering shot that kept going and going and going and finally cleared the deep centerfield fence straight out from home plate.

"I knew I hit it pretty well and I knew it had a chance and I knew it was going to get over his head," he said. "Fortunately it went out and we scored three runs."

Wendell Wright throws a pitch during Friday's nightcap. He carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and pitched his fourth straight complete game for the Dodgers.

Wright, who has thrown four straight complete games as the Dodgers’ No. 2 starter behind Dave Roseboom, buckled in the fifth inning, allowing three straight singles to open the frame. After recording a strikeout, he walked in two runs before getting out of the jam otherwise unscathed.

Those runs certainly mattered for the Dodgers, who could be fighting for a wildcard spot. South Troy brought the infield in with nobody out in the fifth because the two second place teams that have allowed the fewest runs will join the pool winners in the double elimination round.

"It was huge because I didn’t want to give up too many runs, but I did give up two runs," Wright said.

Branden Cogswell, a rising senior at Shenendehowa High School, pivots as part of a double play during the first inning of Friday's game. Second baseman Dan Priore looks on.

The Dodgers lost a heartbreaker in the morning, falling to the Cincy Flames 2-1. Steve Anderson hit a solo home run to give the Dodgers a one-run lead in the sixth inning, but Cincy took advantage of an error to take the lead and win after that.

Dan Priore (pictured above), like Wright (pictured below), a rising senior at Utica-Proctor, has quietly been pacing the Dodgers’ offense from the No. 9 hole. He doubled and drew two walks in Friday’s game against Hudson Valley, scoring two runs. He also hit a two-run triple in South Troy’s victory over the Devilcats Thursday evening.

"Our JV coach recommend us to one of the (South Troy) coaches," Priore said. "After one or two practices, they asked us if we wanted to play. It’s a good opportunity to play wood bat and get a lot of looks for colleges. It’s great."


I asked Nolan Gaige (pictued above) if there was anything particular the Capital Region locals did to make their out-of-town teammates feel at home.

"You just try to make them feel comfortable," he said. "There's not much hazing to do, not like college."

Click on the box score for a full-sized image. Click on the video below to see Gaige's home run and hear reaction from the players.

The South Colonie Raiders won both games they played Friday at South Colonie High School. We were able to get a few pictures, which are displayed below.

South Colonie's Justin Harris takes a swing during the Raiders' game against the Jack Cust Diamondjacks. (Colonie photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

South Colonie's Jami June makes a throw during Friday morning's 7-5 victory over the Jack Cust Diamondjacks at South Colonie High School.

South Colonie's Jake Mullen attempts to get back to first base during Friday's pool play game against the Jack Cust Diamondjacks.

South Colonie's Chris Kalica, a rising senior at South Colonie High School, throws a pitch against the Jack Cust Diamondjacks. His victory, and a win by Chris Kearney later Friday evening, has kept the Raiders in the hunt for a berth into the double elimination round of the Connie Mack World Series Qualifier.

Connie Mack World Series Qualifier Scoreboard
Day Two

Pool A
Florida Legends 8, Kalamazoo Maroons 0
Northeast Mudhens 5, South Troy Dodgers 17s 3
Florida Legends 10, World Yacht Clippers 2
Northeast Mudhens 1, Kalamzaoo Maroons 0

Pool B
Cincy Flames 2, South Troy Dodgers 1
Devilcats baseball (East Greenbush) 12, Hudson Valley Renegades 4
Cincy Flames 8, Team N.Y. National 3
South Troy Dodgers 7, Hudson Valley Renegades 2

Pool C
Frozen Ropes Titans 8, Clifton Park Yankees 7
Upstate Vipers 6, Connecticut Bombers 4
Richmond County Baseball Club 10, Clifton Park Yankees 2
Frozen Ropes Titans 8, Connecticut Bombers 5 (Nine innings - won on a three-run home run)

Pool D
South Colonie 7, Jack Cust Diamondjacks 5
Long Island Tigers 4, Team N.Y. Scout 1
Jack Cust Diamondjacks 8, College Select 0
South Colonie 3, Long Island Tigers 1

The see the standings for each pool, check out the charts below.
The wildcard tiebreaker is fewest runs allowed, so I've sorted ties by that category. I also included runs scored for reference. For the full story on Friday's games, check out Saturday's edition of The Record on the newsstand.
Connie Mack World Series Qualifier Standings - Day Two

Saturday's Schedule

Pool A (At St. Rose’s Bob Bellizzi Field, Albany)
Kalamazoo Maroons vs. World Yacht Clippers, 9 a.m.
South Troy Dodgers 17s vs. Florida Legends, Noon

Pool B (Geer Field, Troy)
South Troy Dodgers vs. Team N.Y. Nationals, 9 a.m.
Devilcats Baseball (East Greenbush) vs. Cincy Flames, Noon

Pool C (Clifton Common, Clifton Park)
Frozen Ropes Titans vs. Richmond County Baseball Club, 9 a.m.
Upstate Vipers vs. Clifton Park Yankees, Noon

Pool D (South Colonie High School)
South Colonie Raiders vs. College Select, 9 a.m.
Team N.Y. Scout vs. Jack Cust Diamondjacks, Noon

Note: Seeding meeting following completion of pool play. Double elimination round begins at three sites at 6 p.m.

--
The Connie Mack Tournament isn't the only game in town. There is the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament going on in Valley Falls as well. Here is Friday's roundup, which also includes a few Little League scores.

VALLEY FALLS - Brendan Singletary tripled, singled and drove in four runs for the Lansingburgh Royals’ Sandy Koufax team in an 11-3 mercy rule victory over New Hartford in the Upper New York State Tournament played at Chapko-Lewis Stadium.
Logan Brogue and Jake Connally added a double, a single and two RBI apiece for the Royals (16-12).
Jeff Tomiano doubled, singled and drove in two runs for New Hartford (12-4).
Today, Lansingburgh faces South Colonie and the Troy Renegades will take on the Saratoga Stampede at 10 a.m. in loser bracket games.
The Bethlehem Eagles will face the South Troy Dodgers in the winner bracket championship game at 12:30.
Two games will be played at 12:30, with the matchups to be determined by Saturday’s early action.
South Troy 13, South Colonie 1: Tyler Childrose held South Colonie to one hit in a Dodgers victory in the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament.
Ryan Puentes doubled twice and drove in three runs for South Troy, while Greg Kelly added a double, a single and two RBI.
South Troy 245 02 - 13 11 2
South Colonie 001 00 - 1 1 2
Childrose and Kelly Peterson and Ryan.
District 14 9-and-10-year old ‘B’ All-Stars
East Greenbush-Castleton 18, Twin Town ‘B’ 3: Zach Schott and Kyle Fortin combined to strike out 11 Twin Town batters and the duo allowed just two hits in the victory for East Greenbush-Castleton.
Fortin added two singles and two RBI at the plate, while Chris O’Keefe hit a pair of singles and drove in one run. Nick Butler added a double and three RBI for East Greenbush-Castleton.
Jack McKenna hit a home run for Twin Town.
East Greenbush-Castleton plays Lansingburgh Monday.
Twin Town 000 003 - 3
East Greenbush-Castleton 305 55x - 18
Brunswick 14, Rensselaer 11: Jesse DuJack tripled, Nathan Nolan doubled and Thomas Eaton chipped in with two singles for Brunswick in a victory over Rensselaer.
Ari Ginsberg earned the win on the mound.
Brunswick hosts Cohoes Monday.
Brunswick 002 255 - 14
Rensselaer 105 203 - 11

Follow OTR: Twitter
Facebook
iTunes video podcast
RSS feed for links to blog posts as soon as they are published

Thursday evening, the South Troy Dodgers and the Devilcats baseball team of East Greenbush squared off in the first day of pool play in the Connie Mack World Series Qualifier at Geer Field in Troy.

Devilcats baserunner Paul Englert looks up at South Troy Dodgers shortstop Branden Cogswell after stealing second base in the second inning of Thursday's game. (All photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Josh Ingham wasn’t expecting to pitch Thursday night, and the Devilcats baseball team from East Greenbush apparently wasn’t ready to see him on the mound either.

South Troy Dodgers’ starting pitcher John Kellogg dug an early four-run deficit for his team, but Ingham replaced him in the second inning and did not allow a run over five and two thirds innings pitched the rest of the game.

The Dodgers’ offense came alive in the fourth inning as the first five batters to the plate all recorded hits – highlighted by Matt Zanotta’s two-run blast over the right-center field fence – as South Troy rallied for a 14-6 victory in Pool B action at the Connie Mack World Series Qualifier at Geer Field.

Devilcats starting pitcher Nick Keefe throws a pitch early in Thursday's game against the South Troy Dodgers.

Steve Anderson and Will Remillard contributed RBI singles for South Troy in the top of the first inning, but Bryan Egan, Kyle Van Vleet and Brendan Murphy drove in one run apiece for the Devilcats in the bottom of the frame.

Devilcats center fielder Joe Snyder drove in two runs on a single in the second inning, chasing Kellogg from the game after 58 pitches.

"We came out and put two runs up right away and I think maybe we fell asleep a little bit or coasted a little bit," Ingham said. "They scored three runs, scored three more and we were down 6-2. But big guy over here (nodded to Zanotta) hit the two-run home run and kind of sparked it a little bit and got us going with a little more energy in the dugout. His home run really kind of flipped the switch and everyone stated hitting from then on."

Joe Snyder (20) scores a run in front of South Troy Dodgers catcher Will Remillard during Thursday's game at Geer Field in Troy.

South Troy, which plays today against the Cincy Flames (9 a.m.) and the Hudson Valley Renegades (6 p.m.) and concludes pool play Saturday against Team N.Y. Nationals (9 a.m.) was planning to use Ingham for the Friday night game or in Saturday’s contest.

"We have to come out in the first inning tomorrow morning right at the crack of dawn and get ready for that game," Zanotta said of Friday's matchup against Cincy. "It’s a huge game. We have to win this pool."

Ingham, the Central Connecticut State University-bound infielder and pitcher from Ichabod Crane High School, allowed four hits and struck out five, throwing 76 pitches to earn the win.

"I definitely wasn’t ready to come in today," Ingham said. "I was kind of shocked when they sent me down to the bullpen in the first inning. I pitched three days ago, so I came back on three days rest. I knew I wasn’t going to have 100% of my stuff, but definitely the key today was spotting up really well and working my offspeed pitches, keeping them off balance."

Paul Englert steals second base in front of South Troy Dodgers second baseman Dan Priore during Thursday's game.

In the fourth, Remillard started South Troy’s rally with a hard-hit double to left field. Zanotta, who set a Section II record this spring with 18 home runs at Guilderland High, followed with a two-run shot to right that brought the Dodgers within two runs.

"I was definitely struggling at first in the season, but I just worked hard with my coaches and that helped me get my swing back to where it was," he said.

Devilcats second baseman Stephen Proper (he later moved to first) takes time to wind up for a throw during Thursday's game.

In the fourth, the Dodgers scored 10 runs, as every player in the lineup scored, drove in a run, or did both.

The Devilcats, comprised of players 17 years old (as well as two 16-year-olds) had defeated the Team New York Nationals, 6-4, in a noon game at Geer Field. Many of the players had formerly played with the North Colonie Padres organization, but the team was picked up by the Devilcats in East Greenbush before attempting to play the season as an independent.

Still, coach Billy Carroll was pleased at the way his team played against a group of players, many of whom had played in the Connie Mack World Series 11 months ago.

"These guys (the Dodgers) are good. Every year they’re considered one of the best teams in the country and it’s easy to see why," said Carroll. "When the ball comes off their bats, it makes a completely different sound. It’s like they use different bats than us, to be honest with you."

Josh Ingham (above) pitched five and two thirds innings scoreless relief and Matt Zanotta (below) drove in four runs for the Dodgers in a 10-run fourth inning.

Zanotta and Ingham are no strangers to the Dodgers program, but this is their first full year on the 18-and-under squad. One of the biggest adjustments for them from the high school game is switching to wood bats.

"The biggest change is going to wood," Ingham said. "Once you switch to wood, you have to really have a good swing. You have to get your hands up a lot higher if you can. And the pitching is ten times better than any other level here. I was talking to one of my friends and this is just as good, if not better, than some of the local college seasons, as far as pitching."

--

One saving grace for the Devilcats was relief pitcher Billy Carroll - son of the coach - who allowed just one earned run on three hits over the final three and one third innings. Carroll, who had pitched but four innings all season, saved the other two planned Devilcats starters in the tournament, keeping them fresh for later.

"They’re not that intimidated," coach Carroll said. "They’ve played against a lot of these guys in high school and even back when they were 12, some of them were on the same team. I think it’s a little easier for us because our guys have played with them and against them through the years. They don’t seem intimidated. They (the Dodgers) just had more talent."

(click on the box score for a full-sized image)

Connie Mack World Series Qualifier

Day One Scoreboard

Pool A
Florida Legends 3, Northeast Mudhens 1
World Yacht Clippers 6, South Troy Dodgers 17s 3
Northeast Mudhens 4, World Yacht Clippers 2
Kalamazoo Maroons 7, South Troy Dodgers 17s 3

Pool B
Cincy Flames 9, Hudson Valley Renegades 2
Devilcats Baseball (East Greenbush) 6, New York Nationals 4
New York Nationals 12, Hudson Valley Renegades 10
South Troy Dodgers 14, Devilcats Baseball (East Greenbush) 6

Pool C
Connecticut Bombers 2, Clifton Park Yankees 0
Richmond County Baseball Club 4, Upstate Vipers 3
Richmond County Baseball Club 8, Connecticut Bombers 0
Frozen Ropes Titans (Texas) 7, Upstate Vipers 1

Pool D
Jack Cust Diamondjacks 7, Long Island Tigers 6
New York Scout 10, College Select 2
College Select 5, Long Island Tigers 4
New York Scout 8, South Colonie Raiders 0

Friday's Connie Mack Qualifier Schedule

Pool A (At The College of St. Rose's Bob Bellizzi Field, Albany)
Florida Legends vs. Kalamzaoo Maroons, 9 a.m.
South Troy Dodgers 17s vs. Northeast Mudhens, Noon
World Yacht Clippers vs. Florida Legends, 3 p.m.
Kalamzaoo Maroons vs. Northeast Mudhens, 6 p.m.

Pool B (At Geer Field, Troy)
Cincy Flames vs. South Troy Dodgers, 9 a.m.
Devilcats Baseball vs. Hudson Valley Renegades, Noon
Team N.Y. Nationals vs. Cincy Flames, 3 p.m.
South Troy Dodgers vs. Hudson Valley Renegades, 6 p.m.

Pool C (At Clifton Common, Clifton Park)
Clifton Park Yankees vs. Frozen Ropes Titans, 9 a.m.
Upstate Vipers vs. Connecticut Bombers, Noon
Richmond County Baseball Club vs. Clifton Park Yankees, 3 p.m.
Frozen Ropes Titans vs. Connecticut Bombers, 6 p.m.

Pool D (At South Colonie High School)
Jack Cust Diamondjacks vs. South Colonie Raiders, 9 a.m.
Team N.Y. Scout vs. Long Island Tigers, Noon
College Select vs. Jack Cust Diamondjacks, 3 p.m.
South Colonie Raiders vs. Long Island Tigers, 6 p.m.

---
Here is the roundup from the Sandy Koufax Upper New York State Tournament played at Chapko-Lewis Stadium in Valley Falls.

South Troy Dodgers 6, Saratoga Stampede 1: Ryan Puentes hit a home run, a single and drove in three runs to lead the Dodgers into the winner’s bracket at Chapko Lewis Stadium in Valley Falls.
Evan Stewart doubled and drove in two runs for South Troy, which faces the New Hartford Spartans today at 12:30 p.m. in the winner’s bracket.
SOUTH TROY 6, SARATOGA 1
South Troy Dodgers 001 230 - 6 8 1
Saratoga Stampede 001 000 - 1 6 2
Herrington, Kelly (3) and Henchey Smith, Winners (6) and Bush

New Hartford Spartans 7, Bethlehem Braves 0: Connor Manderson went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two singles, while also driving in three runs for the Spartans.
Ben Phelps added two hits and two RBI and Steven Tomanio earned the victory on the mound.
South Colonie Raiders 8, Troy Renegades 4: Mike Nicastro and Nick Ciccone each went 2-for-3 for the Raiders in the victory.
Anthony Bassotti earned the victory on the mound and Ciccone picked up the save.

Clifton Park Yankees 17, Lansingburgh Royals 15: The Yankees were led by James Alessi, who went 4-for-4 with a triple and hung on in a high-scoring matchup.

Bethlehem Eagles 6, Hoosic Valley 2: Connor Morelli and Mike Graves each hit ground rule doubles to lead the Eagles into the winner’s bracket.
After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, the Eagles saw their lead cut to one before they scored the final three runs.

Friday's Sandy Koufax Schedule

Troy Renegades vs. Hoosic Valley, 10 a.m.
Saratoga Stampede vs. Bethlehem Braves, 10 a.m.
Clifton Park Yankees vs. Bethlehem Eagles, 12:30 p.m.
South Troy vs. New Hartford, 12:30
Lansingburgh Royals vs. TBD, 3:30
(if sunlight allows) loser's bracket game, 6 p.m.

Follow OTR: Twitter
Facebook
iTunes video podcast
RSS feed for links to blog posts as soon as they are published

Chris Sand hits a home run for the South Troy Dodgers during a game played in the summer of 2009. A new-look Dodgers team will try to earn a second straight berth to the Connie Mack World Series in 2010. (Photo by Tom Killips - The Record).

TROY - Twenty baseball teams – including squads from up and down the eastern half of the United States - have entered, but only one will leave the Collar City with an automatic berth to the Connie Mack World Series.

Beginning at 9 a.m. today, the South Troy Dodgers organization will yet again play host to an American Amateur Baseball Congress World Series qualifier, with four fields around the Capital Region serving as pool play sites. After three days of pool play, a double elimination tournament begins with the remaining six teams. The last team standing clinches an automatic berth into the Connie Mack World Series, to be played August 6-13 in Farmington, N.M.

The South Troy Dodgers’ 18-and-under team hosts a pool at Geer Field in Troy, while the Dodgers’ 17-and-under unit will entertain four other teams on The College of Saint Rose’s Bob Bellizzi Field in Albany. The South Colonie Raiders will play at South Colonie High School and the Clifton Park Yankees will compete at Clifton Common.

Some of the area’s best young baseball players will battle for the local teams, but this tournament routinely draws future professional-quality talent as well.

The Florida Legends, three-time defending champions, had 14 players selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. Some of those players have signed contracts and are currently playing minor league baseball, although shortstop Manny Machado, picked third overall by the Baltimore Orioles, is still unsigned and has committed to Florida International University.

Two years ago, Ryan Westmoreland, a fifth round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox in the 2008 draft, stunned the South Troy Dodgers 17-and-under squad as a member of the Bayside Yankees, hitting three home runs in a game at Bleecker Stadium in Albany. He later became a New York-Penn League All-Star for the Red Sox affiliate in Lowell and played short season Class A games at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, a hop, skip and a jump from Geer Field.

Other contenders this year include the Cincy Flames, from Cincinnati, Ohio, which had three current players selected in the 2010 draft.

The Frozen Ropes Titans, from McKinney, Texas, had the longest trip to Troy. According to team coaches at Wednesday’s registration meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn, after playing a doubleheader Tuesday, the team headed to the Dallas airport at 4:30 a.m. and endured layovers in New Orleans and Tampa before arriving in Albany.

The rest of the field is filled out with teams from the New York City metro area, New Jersey, Connecticut and Michigan.

Dave Roseboom, a graduate of La Salle Institute, was the only local player in the tournament who was selected in the Major League Draft. South Troy’s hard-throwing lefthander was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the 1,433 pick in the 47th round.

South Colonie features a young team led by pitchers Chris Kalica and Chris Kearney – rising seniors both at Colonie High School. An experienced team in years past, Ed Kelly’s squad is youthful, but hopeful they can compete.

This week’s tournament is one of two open qualifiers in the nation, as the western version was played in Phoenix in late June. The Dodgers will also host the North Atlantic Regional in Troy July 22 to 25. The winner of that tournament, which is reserved for area champions from the northeast, also secures a berth in the Connie Mack World Series.

Admission is free to all games played this week.

I've tried to find websites for all the teams involved. For more information, click on the team names to be redirected to their official sites.

2010 Connie Mack World Series Qualifier Pool Play Schedule

Pool A (@ The College of St. Rose's Bob Bellizzi Field, Albany, N.Y.)
1. World Yacht Clippers
2. South Troy Dodgers 17s
3. Florida Legends (Click to see team's website - 14 players selected in 2010 MLB draft)
4. Northeast Mudhens
5. Kalamazoo Maroons

Pool B (@ Geer Field, Troy, N.Y.)
1. Team N.Y. Nationals
2. Devilcats Baseball (East Greenbush)
3. Cincy Flames
4. Hudson Valley Renegades (Any help here?)
5. South Troy Dodgers

Pool C (@ Clifton Common, Clifton Park, N.Y.)
1. Richmond County
2. Upstate Vipers (Any help here?)
3. Clifton Park Yankees
4. Connecticut Bombers
5. Frozen Ropes Titans

Pool D (@ South Colonie High School, Colonie, N.Y.)
1. College Select
2. Team N.Y. Scout
3. Jack Cust Diamondjacks
4. Long Island Tigers
5. South Colonie Raiders (Any help here?)

Pool Play schedule

Thursday:
9 a.m.: Team 3 vs. Team 4
Noon: Team 1 vs. Team 2
3 p.m.: Team 1 vs. Team 4
6 p.m.: Team 5 vs. Team 2

Friday:
9 a.m.: Team 3 vs. Team 5
Noon: Team 2 vs. Team 4
3 p.m.: Team 1 vs. Team 3
6 p.m.: Team 5 vs. Team 4

Saturday:
9 a.m.: Team 1 vs. Team 5
Noon: Team 2 vs. Team 3
3 p.m.: seeding meeting
6 p.m.: Double elimination round starts.

Pool winners plus two wild cards will advance to double elimination tournament, which will begin at three sites at 6pm Saturday.

----
We also received the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax 14-and-under tournament schedule. Games begin Thursday at 9 a.m. at Chapko-Lewis Stadium in Valley Falls.

Upper NYS Sandy Koufax 14U Tournament
At Chapko-Lewis Stadium Valley Falls
Thursday
Lansingburgh Royals (15-11) vs. Clifton Park Yankees (16-4), 9 a.m.
Troy Renegades (9-3) vs. South Colonie Raiders (9-7), 11:30 a.m.
Saratoga Stampede (16-6) vs. South Troy Dodgers (28-8), 11:30 a.m.
Hoosic Valley Rangers (5-10) vs. Bethlehem Eagles (16-3), 2 p.m.
Bethlehem Braves (8-4) vs. Utica Black Sox (12-3), 2 p.m.

Follow OTR: Twitter
Facebook
iTunes video podcast
RSS feed for links to blog posts as soon as they are published