Leading off today: A name from the not-too-distant past turned up last night in minor-league baseball news.
Former Shenendehowa pitcher Ian Anderson, taken by the Atlanta Braves with the third overall pick of baseball's 2016 draft, combined with two other pitchers to throw 10 hitless innings Wednesday in what turned out to be a 6-3 loss.
Anderson threw 7 2/3 hitless innings, striking out five and walking one, for the Florida Fire Frogs in the Florida State League. Two relievers extended the no-hitter through the 10th inning, but the Charlotte Stone Crabs registered a hit in the 11th and went on to a walk-off victory in the 12th.
The Fire Frogs became the first FSL team to throw 10 hitless innings since Daytona's Kerry Wood and Jairup Diaz combined for a no-hitter in 1996.
The stint on the mound, which came to a close after 100 pitches, was the longest in his career and continued a strong season for Anderson. Though sporting just a 2-5 record, Anderson lowered his ERA to 2.57 and has struck out 113 batters in 94 2/3 innings. He's allowed just two earned runs in his last five starts, spanning 29 2/3 innings.
West Genny decides: Veteran coach Shaun Smith will be the new boys lacrosse coach at West Genesee, replacing the legendary Mike Messere.
Smith, who has coached the varsity program at Corcoran (and now the combined Syracuse city schools team) since 2000, compared getting the Wildcats job to managing the New York Yankees or taking over the Syracuse University basketball program from Jim Boeheim.
Messere retired this spring with 15 NYSPHSAA championships and a national-record 841 victories.
Smith's record at Corcoran and with the combined city team is 180-158.
"People look at numbers," West Genesee AD Michael Burns said. "But I think you need to look at the type of lacrosse talent he had there, compared to what he'll have here."
Burns said that while Smith is not a West Genesee graduate, he lives in the district and his kids attended school there.
"He knows what is expected out of a West Genesee team," he said.
More coaching news: Greg Lauer is stepping down as boys basketball coach at Fredonia after 10 seasons to focus on his duties as athletic director.
"Being a varsity basketball coach is a full-time job,” said Lauer, who became the AD last year. "I found that with all the time I was putting into being an athletic director, I wasn't able to do as much (as a coach) as I wanted to."
Lauer expects longtime JV coach Nick Bertrando to take over the varsity team. He'd inherit a team that went 7-15 last season.
On the move: Rising junior Aidan Hilderbrand is leaving John Jay East Fishkill to continue his basketball career at Iona Prep.
