This was a break that was needed.

Nashua Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson is enjoying his first season running the club on the field and in the dugout rather than being former manager B.J. Neverett’s sidekick/sounding board as pitching coach.

Late last week, after a big win over Brockton, he looked exhausted. He was looking forward to a few days off, afternoons on the couch watching and playing with his infant.

But don’t get him wrong, he feels right at home in the manager’s seat.

“I love it,” Jackson said. “It’s great.

He had better. It’s a different deal running a club. He doesn’t just have to deal with 25 or 26 personalities, but as many as 35-38 as the Futures Collegiat Baseball League wanted to give as many players as it could an opportunity. He’s had to keep a lot of players happy with part-time roles, but he’s also kept them hungry. “When they get their chance,” he said, “they go for it. That’s all I ask them to do, give me everything they’ve got.”

Yes, that’s what he wants his team to do. It’ll be interesting how they respond tonight in Lynn after three days off. It begins a brutal season ending stretch of 14 games in 15 days, including 12 straight.

He’s gotten himself thrown out of a game once. He’s tried a couple other times, to no avail. “The way I look at it, I just ask questions, that’s it,” Jackson said.

And not only of the umpires, but of the players. Health checks definitely, not only with the pandemic but with injuries. He’s going to need arms for the home stretch, and both he and general manager Cam Cook will likely be searching for help to aid in the stretch run. That was something Neverett was always good at during the team’s title runs.

Jackson perhaps had his first managerial crisis a week ago. Players were evidently a little thrown off kilter by some issue that was prevalent in the clubhouse. It showed in a lopsided loss to Worcester.

Jackson met with them immediately. He sensed “the vibe” had carried over into the game, so afterward, he simply told them to forget about a bad day, bad night, and come back strong the next day.

They won two in a row. Granted, they dropped their final two on the road before the break, but they basically were running out of arms. This break couldn’t have come at a better time.

Jackson’s job now will be to make sure his team responds to the stretch run, to the fun of what it could mean but also the focus it will take. One thing he has been consistent about is trying to remove pressure. He won’t allow it in his clubhouse or dugout.

But don’t get him wrong. He wants to win. Summer collegiate ball is a cross between getting the players opportunities to improve their game on one hand and try to compete and win on the other.

It’s a fine line. But it’s one the Silver Knights manager has shown he’s perfectly capable of walking with his players right behind him.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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