News & notes

 For years, there's been five, sometimes six, classifications, depending on the sport, in high school sports.

Come next year, that's going to change.

What the Lords of High School Sports in New York, covering 11 Sections, have decided is that, in 2023, a new classification is being added for men's & women's soccer & basketball, baseball, women's volleyball, and softball.

To the average sports fan, Triple A (AAA) usually means the highest rung in minor league baseball. In 2023. Class AAA will be added to the 7 sports listed above. Surprisingly, football is not included, but, I'd not be surprised if it was by September 2023.

So, then, which schools would be in Class AAA? Figure on the usual suspects that have been in AA for forever (i.e. Shenendehowa, CBA, Shaker, Colonie), which would allow some A schools, such as Queensbury & Burnt Hills, which have never sniffed AA, to finally move up.

In men's basketball & baseball, there are often seasons where Class CC is added to divide the Class C field, which is the extra classification I was referring to earlier.

Waiting for the 2023 schedules to come out next summer will be so much fun.

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When he was with the Yankees, Don Mattingly famously hit homers in 8 straight games, looking to tie or pass former Pittsburgh slugger Dale Long.

The Tri-City Valleycats' Brantley Bell has found that rarefied air.

Bell was one of four Valleycats to homer in Friday's 13-7 win over Evansville, joined by Brad Zunica, Jesus Lujano, and newcomer Cito Culver, a former Yankee prospect. Tri-City stays hot, and their series with the Otters continues tonight.

Meanwhile, in Miami, Mattingly's Marlins choked away two early leads, and dropped a 6-4 decision to the Mets. Starter Sandy Alcantara could only go five innings as the Mets ran up the pitch count early and often. Tonight's game airs on CW15 at 6 pm.