Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Talor Battle basketball camp at Troy High

Mike McMahon/The Record
Two of the biggest names to recently play high school basketball in this area, Talor Battle and Jimmer Fredette, were at Troy High on Tuesday.

Battle (left), who helped lead Bishop Maginn to the 2006 New York State Class AA title game, is holding his basketball camp at Troy and his former AAU teammate, Fredette, who starred at Glens Falls was in town.

Here is the story.

I also had a chance to catch up with Battle's brother, Taran Buie, who hopes to play at Siena this upcoming season.

Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

ValleyCats open 2013 season with 9-3 win

J.S. Carras/The Record
The Tri-City ValleyCats kicked off the 2013 season with a 9-3 victory over New York-Penn League rival Vermont on Monday.

The offense really got going, with 15 hits, four from Jon Kemmer (left), who also hit his first pro home run.

Here is a link to my story on the offensive cranking it up on opening night.

Here is a link to a fan story I wrote for news on the season-opener at Joe Bruno Stadium.

Here is a link to a preview story I wrote about the franchise, which has quotes from both president Bill Gladstone and general manager Rick Murphy.

Below is video of first baseman Conrad Gregor, a fourth round selection in the 2013 draft.


Labels: , , , ,

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Trio of locals taken in 2013 MLB Draft

Jeff Couch/The Record
The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft concluded on Saturday with three local players being chosen.

Maple Hill grad Jaime Schultz (High Point), Cohoes native Will Remillard (Coastal Carolina) and Mike Fish (Bethlehem/Siena) were all selected.

Here is the story from Sunday's paper.

Schultz (right) went in the 14th round to the Tampa Bay Rays and could start his career with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the NY/Penn League.

Remillard (left) was selected in the 19th round by the Chicago Cubs. The La Salle grad hit .280 for the Chanticleers, with two home runs and a team-high 39 RBI. He will play this summer in the Cape Cod League.

J.S. Carras/The Record
Fish was taken in the 32nd round by the Los Angeles Angels. He was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the Saints. Fish led the MAAC in home runs (12), hits (81), runs (54), total bases (136) and slugging percentage (.602), while leading Siena with a .364 batting average.

Labels: , , , , , , ,

Saturday, June 8, 2013

ValleyCats would love to be an Appel picker

The Tri-City ValleyCats could get the benefit of having the No. 1 pick from the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in Mark Appel.

The Houston Astros make Appel, a right-handed pitcher from Stanford, the No. 1 pick on Thursday evening.

Here is a link to my story, where I talk to Tri-City general manager Rick Murphy about the possibility of having Appel in Troy to start the 2013 season.

AP

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

REPORT: Taran Buie headed to Siena

The Siena men's basketball roster continues to evolve, as the Jimmy Patsos era begins its third month.

CBS-6 Albany reported Wednesday afternoon that former Bishop Maginn standout Taran Buie will join the Siena program next season.

Buie, a 6-foot-2 guard, who just finished his sophomore season, left Hofstra two months ago, citing personal reasons.

Buie started 26 games this past season for the Pride, averaging 12.4 points 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assist per game. Hofstra struggled this season, finishing just 7-25, which led to coach Mo Cassara being fired.

Buie played with older brother, Talor Battle, at both Bishop Maginn and then Penn State. Battle and Buie were teammates on Bishop Maginn’s 2006-07 New York State Class AA runner-up squad.

Buie lasted just one season with the Nittany Lions. He played in just 11 games during the 2010-11 season, averaging 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game. Off the court, he had his issues, being suspended from the program for a violation of team rules, while also being cited for disorderly conduct.

A highly touted player coming out of high school, Buie was ranked the No. 17 shooting guard in the Class of 2010, his senior year of high school, by Scout.com. Buie, who averaged 20.8 points per game his only season at State College (Pa.) High, was heavily recruited by Notre Dame and Maryland.

Labels: , , ,

Stephan Jiggetts commits to UAlbany

ALBANY —  Stephan Jiggetts will indeed play his college basketball in the Capital District.

Jiggetts, who decommitted from Siena in late April, has given an oral commitment to play at the University at Albany.

Jiggetts originally committed to Siena and coach Mitch Buonaguro, back in September.

Jiggetts tweeted “@Steph_SYNB: Just Committed To University at Albany.”, early on Wednesday afternoon.

Just a few minutes later, UAlbany coach Will Brown tweeted, “@UAHOOPSWB: Picked up a commitment today. Always good when u can get a kid with a high basketball IQ who can make shots!”

Jiggetts, a 6-foot combo guard from Bishop McNamara in Maryland, joins a huge seven-man incoming class for the defending America East Conference champions.

UAlbany has already announced that transfers Lamin Fulton, Levan Shengelia, Anders Haas, Anthony Odunsi and Ede Egharevba and true freshman Dallas Ennema will join the program in the fall.  

Jiggetts knows new Siena coach Jimmy Patsos, as his good friend Marquis Wright was recruited by Patsos and originally committed to Loyola (Md.). When Patsos was named the new coach at Siena, in early April, Jiggetts decommitted and Wright committed to play at Siena, after testing the waters.

Jiggetts and Wright played together on the Maryland Ruff Riders, an AAU team.

Jiggetts will get an opportunity to play against the Saints, as the Great Danes open the season against their crosstown rival, on Nov. 8.

Labels: , ,