GLENS FALLS -- That old feeling still prickles at John Mayotte every now and then.

The only head coach the Glens Falls Golden Eagles have ever known is four years removed from the same position at Troy State. Back then, baseball occupied 365 days a year for Mayotte, a Hudson Falls native.

Seems like he's found a nice medium.

As the Golden Eagles' third-year coach, Mayotte says he devotes a little more than half his year rounding up players to bring here for a summer full of instruction. That effort involves constantly talking to coaches, scouring the Internet for stats and catching as many games as possible from his Florida home.

"You have to sell yourself, sell the program, sell the community," Mayotte says.

That assiduous effort has gotten him to this point, standing in the rain on a recent afternoon talking about a roster full of college kids here to play in the New York Collegiate Baseball League for the next two months. The Golden Eagles open their home season tonight at 7:05 against Saratoga.

One player arrives fresh from the airport, already wearing his cleats. Mayotte shakes his hand, looking at him like a long-lost brother.

"Fall right in with a hitting group," he says.

Another newcomer, Georgia Southern freshman Chris Shehan, takes cuts in the batting cage. Mayotte takes a peek and rattles off about 10 seconds' worth of Shehan's first-year stats to anyone listening.

"Not bad, huh?" he says, digging his elbow into a reporter's midsection.

Make no mistake about it, Mayotte knows these guys. He has to if he plans on reversing last year's fortunes. Saddled with roster defections and plagued by early washouts, the Golden Eagles limped to a last-place finish in 2005. Mayotte bristles at the mere mention of it.

"It got to the point where you didn't want the phone to ring or get any e-mails -- because they all brought bad news," Mayotte says.

A roster boasting impressive credentials suggests a turnaround is plausible.

Shehan, the freshman, swings a quick bat that saw him drive in more than 30 runs in his first year. Bryan Tews, a dual-threat Ivy League standout, is capable of altering games with his pitching (1.85 ERA in 2006) and hitting (league-high .390 average). Catcher Nate Recknagel was among the Big 10's best offensive players.

The Golden Eagles will celebrate tonight's homer opener with a pyrotechnic show of fireworks. As the season goes on, they'll bank on more of the same.

"It's great, because you get to come up here and just concentrate on baseball," Brent McWhorter, a infielder from William & Mary says. "You don't have to worry about schoolwork or anything.

"You just play baseball," he says again.



GOLDEN EAGLES

The league: The Glens Falls Golden Eagles play in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.

Home opener: Tonight at East Field vs. Saratoga, 7:05 p.m.

The schedule: Forty-four games, running through July 27, followed by playoffs.

The players: They are offseason college players, many of whom have aspirations of playing in the major leagues.



GOLDEN EAGLES' SCHEDULE

Date Opponent

Friday at Amsterdam

Saturday Saratoga

Sunday Watertown (2)

June 13 Amsterdam

June 14 at Saratoga

June 15 at Elmira

June 16 Little Falls

June 17 Geneva

June 18 at Amsterdam

June 21 Saratoga

June 22 Elmira

June 23 at Little Falls

June 24 at Geneva

June 25 Hornell (2)

June 27 Amsterdam

June 28 Little Falls

June 29 at Geneva

June 30 Saratoga

July 1 at Amsterdam

July 3 at Saratoga

July 5 at Elmira

July 6 NYCBL All-Star game at Watertown

July 7 at Gen. Valley (2)

July 8 at Rochester (2)

July 11 at Little Falls

July 12 Geneva

July 13 Amsterdam

July 14 Saratoga

July 15 at Allegany Cty (2)

July 16 Bolivar (2)

July 18 at Little Falls

July 19 Little Falls, 12:05

July 20 Amsterdam

July 21 at Saratoga

July 22 Elmira

July 23 at Amsterdam

July 25 at Saratoga

July 26 Little Falls

July 27 at Little Falls

July 29-Aug. 6

NYCBL playoffs



* Home games played at East Field

* all home games start at 7:05 unless otherwise noted; home doubleheaders begin at 3:05