News & notes

 The prospects are there for an embarrassment of riches for Section II at the state basketball tournaments. 10 teams remain after Saturday's play, and if all 10 win, it will be the largest bounty in Section II history.

The lineup:

Women:

Class AAA: Shaker vs. Albertus Magnus, Thursday at 4:15 pm at HVCC.

Class AA: Bethlehem vs. Nyack, Saturday at 3:15 pm.

Class A: Albany Academy vs. Tappan Zee, Saturday at 11:45 am.

Class B: Mechanicville vs. Yonkers Montessori Academy, Friday at 3:15 pm.

Class C: Greenwich vs. Tuckahoe, Friday at 11:45 am.

Men:

Class AAA: CBA vs. Mamaroneck, Friday at 3:15 pm at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena.

Class AA: Amsterdam vs. Rye, Friday at 11:45 am.

Class A: Hudson vs. Tappan Zee, Thursday at 7:45 pm.

Class B: KIPP Capital vs. Carle Place, Thursday at 4:15 pm.

Class C: Berne-Knox-Westerlo vs. North Salem, Saturday at 3:15 pm.

College hockey season officially ended in the 518 on Saturday when Union was eliminated by Princeton, 5-2. The Garnet Chargers were ranked 20th, according to recent polls.

Siena hosted a watch party for the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday night. They might as well have had smelling salts, Maalox, or Pepto-Bismol on hand, because, as usual, Siena, being a mid-major school, was dealt a bad hand.

That's because Siena is the #16 seed in the East Regional, which begins Thursday afternoon. Their opponent? Overall #1 seed Duke. Now, it's been 37 years since Siena upset a power conference team (Stanford) in the 1st round, but Duke, a perennial contender from the Atlantic Coast Conference, is NCAA royalty in basketball.

The NCAA does this to mid-major colleges every year, and are unwilling to change. They let the Power 4 (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12) fill as many slots as possible, because the bloated field is meant to attract television ratings. Thursday's game can be heard on WJMZ, and seen on WRGB in the 518, at approximately 2:50 pm.

We recommend Siena consider the patron saint of mid-majors everywhere:

The late Rodney Dangerfield's whole schtick was about lacking respect. Siena University can feel his pain.

Shaker grad Jeff Hoffman didn't see the mound last night for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic semi-finals, but there's always a chance he might pitch in the championship game tomorrow vs. the winner of tonight's Italy-Venezuela matchup (FS1, 8 pm). Hoffman was added to the roster Friday to replace Clayton Kershaw, who didn't see action in the previous 5 games for Team USA.

Sunday's college scores:

Baseball:

NY University 16, Russell Sage 2 (7 innings).

Rider 12, Siena 7.

Yale 15, UAlbany 7.

RPI split a doubleheader with Keane State, losing the opener, 11-7, before winning the nightcap, 10-3.

Water polo:

Siena 19, Iona 16.

Softball:

UAlbany swept Mount St. Mary's, 12-8 & 13-1. The 2nd game ended via mercy rule after 5 innings.