Telegraph photo by TOM KING Nashua's Noah Lucier reaches for the ball duirng a steal attempt by Worcester's Mariano Ricciardi during a game last season at Holman Stadium. The Silver Knights and the FCBL are still hoping to begin a season in early July.

NASHUA – Will they have a season or not?

Still too soon to tell.

The Nashua Silver Knights, as well as their Futures Collegiate Baseball League brethren, are still targeting early July to open the circuit’s 10th anniversary campaign.

With that in mind, the Silver Knights early this week were putting the finishing touches on a comprehensive COVID-19 safety proposal to play at Holman Stadium this summer. The course of action was to deliver it to city officials, most likely Nashua Park-Recreation Superintendent Nick Caggiano, and go from there.

“We’re still working toward opening the season up,” Silver Knights owner John Creedon, Jr., said on Tuesday. “Nothing about this is easy, nothing about this these days is easy for anybody. The league and the respective teams are all sort of working toward the goal of an Opening Day in early July. We’re all working hard on that.”

The complications come from the fact that teams are in seven different communities spanning three states – five in Massachusetts – all with different pandemic related rules and regulations.

However, the wild card in all of this is the inter-state competition. Will the Silver Knights be allowed to travel and play in Massachusetts, and then return to play in New Hampshire without any quarantine? Will the six out-of-state teams be allowed to come to Holman?

For example, the guidelines that were put forward earlier for youth baseball leagues such as the NHCBL and NEIBL seemingly frown on or outright prevent inter-state competition.

Creedon said he has not had contact with anyone from New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu’s office or the state’s COVID-19 Task Force as of yet, but intends to.

“It’s something we’re certainly aware of,” Creedon said, “and another box we need to check in trying to open the season up.”

Creedon said the FCBL has had conversations with state officials in Massashusetts, since five teams are located there (Brockton, North Shore, Pittsfield, Westfield and Creedon’s other team, Worcester).

“That’s the state that seems the most restrictive,” Creedon said of Massachusetts. “The requirements in Massachusetts, we’re going to be on solid footing to open the season up.”

What if after all the preparations the Silver Knights found out they couldn’t host out-of-state teams?

“We’d have to re-evaluate things real quick,” Creedon said. “I’m not going to venture guesses or speculate at this point. Dealing with different states, different levels of government, and guidance coming from every different angle, it just comes down to approvals we’re able to get – or not.

“We’re going to do the best we can to get the approvals we need to open up our season. We’re just going to keep working hard to secure those approvals.”

Creedon’s other team, the Worcester Bravehearts, play their home games at a private facility – the only team in the league that does – the College of Holy Cross. He says the Bravehearts “remain hopeful” they can play there this summer.

Meanwhile, the Silver Knights are dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on their proposal for games at Holman.

“We are putting the finishing touches on the plan, it’s a thorough plan,” Creedon said. “It’s a thorough, thoughtful plan that aims to keep all of our staff, players, and guests safe in the event that we’re able to open up a season in a few weeks.”

Sources say the plan includes things like who wears masks (training staff, front office), and who doesn’t (players, coaches), looks at perhaps a 20-30 percent stadium capacity for fans, no fan interactions, post-game disinfecting of the stadium, etc.

But ultimately, Creedon said, the team will do whatever is required by local and state authorities.

“We’ll take our guidance from the city of Nashua and the state of New Hampshire,” he said. “Whatever requirements, restrictions are in place for us to cobble a season together, we’re going to fullfill all of that.”

Creedon said each team in the FCBL is putting together their own similar plans. “We’re being respectful of each community’s concerns,” he said, “so we can supply them with individually COVID readiness plans for each team. … This is team by team, very much in tune with each community’s pulse, questions, and considerations.”

In a perfect world, Silver Knights general manager Cam Cook said he’d be hoping for the team to gather by the end of June, with players who are nearby perhaps holding informal workouts earlier than that as soon as it’s allowed by the city. The FCBL’s new team, the New Britain (Conn) Bees have already been buzzing, having already begun informal workouts, both Cook and Creedon confirmed.

Creedon said that he feels “in general” better about the league’s chances to play, but that each day has brought about its own challenges. The league is basing it’s proposed timetable on Massachusetts’ third phase of reopening which would be toward the end of June. Remember, the Cape Cod League and New England Collegiate Baseball League have both cancelled their seasons.

“Getting to that first day, that opening day for the league, would be a gigantic victory for everybody involved,” Creedon said. “For the seven teams, for our players, for our communities, our fans. That’s what we’re trying to move heaven and earth to achieve here. …

In a lot of ways the easier thing would have been to cancel the season. We’re engaged in the harder path right now of trying to get the season in.”

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