News & notes

 Just five weeks ago, the Tri-City Valleycats welcomed back the reigning home run champion in the Frontier League, Denis Phipps.

On Monday, they said good-bye.

Seeing a need to go younger heading into the 2023 season, the 'Cats shipped Phipps off to Charleston of the Atlantic League for a player to be named later. At the same time, Tri-City shipped first baseman Brad Zunica off to Chicago of the American Association in exchange for pitcher Elijah Gill, and welcomed back third baseman Pavin Parks, shortstop Cito Culver, and outfielder Carson McCusker. First baseman-outfielder Zach Biermann was reacquired from Evansville to fill the voids created by Zunica & Phipps' departures. The 'Cats had earlier lost Frontier League batting champion Brantley Bell, who signed a free agent deal with San Diego.

GM Matt Callahan said that there are more moves coming with the season two months away. Stay tuned.

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Siena College's baseball team is off to a very slow start. Things have gotten so bad (how bad is it?), such that coach Tony Rossi announced Monday he is stepping down, effective immediately, although he was going to step down on March 20 originally. Joe Sheridan was named interim coach, effective March 20. Siena is 2-10 on the young season, and the combination of transfers leaving the school before the season and the inability to reload after graduation last year may have weighed heavily on Rossi, 79.

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Siena basketball fans were hoping the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference would move their post-season tournament back to Albany after this year's event. Nope.

The MAAC voted on Monday to keep the tournament in Atlantic City, which ensures that none of the teams would have a home court advantage, unlike at MVP Arena in Albany, where Siena plays their home games, and won 4 MAAC titles since the arena opened as Knickerbocker Arena in 1990.

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To update the state regional basketball schedule for this week, we now have dates and venues for the Class C & D champions in men's play.

Chatham will be at Clinton Community College, outside of Syracuse, tomorrow to play Moriah. Tip time there is 7:35 pm as the 2nd half of a men's & women's double-header, with Greenwich's women's team facing Northeastern Clinton at 5 pm.

North Warren will be at Hudson Valley Community College to play Schroon Lake, Friday at 6:45 pm in Class D play.