News & notes

 Troy High may have found their next softball superstar.

Kaylee Kussler, like basketball phenom Stetson Merritt, is an 8th grader at Troy Middle School, and is following the career path of senior ace Olivia DeCitise, who also started on the varsity softball team as an 8th grader.

On Monday, Kussler was named WTEN's player of the week, selected ahead of her all-universe teammate, DeCitise. The news provided some solace after Monday's home game vs. Albany was postponed to today. We have to assume Sunday's rains made the softball field unplayable, postponing the inevitable.

Meanwhile, the baseball team blew out Albany, 10-1, rebounding after a blowout loss on Saturday. Chris Stack's club embarks on a road trip starting tomorrow in Schenectady.

With the softball game vs. Albany moved to today (weather permitting), the women now will play four games in as many days, as they will be in Schenectady tomorrow, back home to play Glens Falls on Thursday, and, finally, at Guilderland on Friday.

Update, 9:41 am: Troy's women's flag football team is now 2-0 with 2 shutouts after blanking Highland, 26-0, at Picken Field. The ladies are on the road tonight & tomorrow before returning home Saturday.

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When football season starts in the fall, Saratoga will have a new head coach.

Terry Jones has stepped down after 16 seasons as head coach, and while he'll still teach, and serve as an assistant coach for the bowling team, he's indicated he wants to spend more time with his family. The Blue Streaks finished 5-5 last season

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Union College could end up producing a batting champion in Division III softball.

Karson Saunders (Emma Willard), who leads the team and the Liberty League in batting, is tied for 3rd in the nation in D3 at .541, with 3 homers and 22 RBI. She's also leading the team in stolen bases with 18. Union's Lady Dutch currently are 3-5 in the Liberty League (10-14 overall) after splitting a doubleheader with Skidmore on Friday, and getting swept by RPI on Saturday.

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We don't usually discuss minor league hockey, but with the Adirondack Thunder in the East Coast Hockey League playoffs, it's time to address the league's quirky playoff format.

After playing the first three games of their series with Newfoundland at Cool Insuring Arena, the Thunder now are in Canada to play out the remainder of this series. This is being done for budgetary reasons, as, unlike the NHL, the ECHL doesn't have a major television or radio contract, and would rather save money by blocking out games this way instead of the teams going back and forth across the border into and out of Canada. Newfoundland leads the series, 2-1, heading into game 4 today.