Nashua Silver Knights pitcher Aidan Crowley is among the FCBL leaders in earned run average. (Courtsy photo by Chloe Tardif/Silver Knights)

NASHUA – The 2021 Nashua Silver Knights season is now a month old, and it wasn’t the best 30-day period on the field in the franchise’s 11 years.

But there are some signs the next 30 days could be better, despite their 8-19 last place record, 5.5 games out of a playoff spot.

The Knights return to Holman Stadium tonight at 6 p.m. to entertain the Pittsfield Suns, the first of three home games this week. The Suns (18-10) are in a tie for first atop the FCBL standings with the 17-9 Brockton Rox.

When they left Holman last Wednesday after a disastrous doubleheader sweep at at the hands of Vermont, they were hitting .195 as a team. But after a 2-3 five-game trip, the Knights hit much better and have raised their team batting average 10 points to .205 and are no longer last in that category in the Futures Collegiate League, two-points ahead of Vermont.

Nashua struggled on the mound during the trip, otherwise it might have come back with at least four wins. Nashua’s team earned run average has risen to 5.34, also seventh, ahead of Westfield’s whopping 6.49. However, the Silver Knights have the third fewest walks allowed (123) in the league.

And starter Aidan Crowley, at 2-1, 3.13, has the fifth best ERA in the FCBL, and leads the Silver Knights in strikeouts with 25.

Not listed among the leaders was Wyatt Scotti, the Northeastern sophomore from Barnstable, Mass. who is 1-0, 1.50. Scotti has been hoping to pitch in the Cape Cod League at some point and if he’s indeed leaving, Nashua will have to name a new starter for Friday’s game at the Westfield (Mass.) Starfires.

FISH ON FIRE

One of the things helping Nashua’s team average is the hitting of recent Londonderry graduate Brandon Fish, who will be a freshman in the fall at UMass-Lowell.

In 10 games, Fish, an infielder, is hitting .316 (6 for 19) with four RBIs and five runs scored. He’s also walked five times. Connor Hujsak is next at .260 in 12 games, but he’s struggled defensively with nine errors.

COMMISSIONER’S VIEW

What does FCBL chief Joe Paolucci like and not like about the season thus far?

“I like everything,” he said. “I think we have some talented players.”

But there is something he’d like to see improve – attendance. Nashua is actually second in attendance with an average of 914 fans a game, behind one of the two new franchises, Vermont, which has averaged a whopping 1,587.

But noticeably down are the Worcester Bravehearts, averaging 867 when they used to be up over 2,000. However, the Bravehearts had a good Sunday crowd of 1,044 vs. Nashua this past weekend.

“I’d like to see some more fans come out,” Paolucci said. “I don’t think we’re at full capacity yet from COVID, with people shying away (due to COVID). It’s not like it was in 2019. But I’m hoping that can change the second half of the season.

“Once we get our fans back to full capacity we’ll be in really great shape.”

Paolucci said he’s not worried about Worcester, which now has to battle the WooSox, Boston’s Triple A team, playing in the city’s brand new Polar Park.

“This was nothing (the Bravehearts) weren’t prepared for,” Paolucci said. “I think everybody was prepared for a dip.”

But, Paolucci said that he has complete faith in Bravehearts (and Silver Knights) owner John Creedon, Jr.and Worcester GM Dave Peterson. “They did a lot of work to get the Braveheart brand to where it is,” he said. “I know it’s going to be back sooner rather than later.”

BROCKTON LIGHTING ISSUES

Brockton has also taken a big dip – but remember, no Mass. teams had fans last year – averaging 439 per game.

But the issue has and will be early start times. Campanelli Stadium’s lights are no longer satisfactory, “to the point where we can’t play night games there,” Paolucci said.

So right now Brockton will start its games at 5 p.m. Paolucci said Rox owner Chris English has worked with the city to get about $8 million in stadium improvements, including new lighting – but that won’t start until just after the season. It doesn’t make financial sense, Paolucci said, to fix the current lights since they’ll be replaced in a couple of months.

“It’s hard on the team attendance wise,” Paolucci said. “Not a lot of people are taking their kids out at 5 o’clock to a game. People are still getting out of work at that time.”

VERMONT A HIT

On the flip side, Paolucci is thrilled with Vermont’s popularity, the other franchise English owns. The Lake Monsters, remember, were a former NY-Penn League franchise, like Norwich.

“They’re absolutely killing it up there,” Paolucci said. “The main thing I noticed was how many fans were there who you could tell were lifetime fans.”

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After tonight, the Knights host New Britain for the first time since June 1 on Wednesday at 6. But then five of their next six games will be on the road.

They’ll go to Norwich on Thursday and Westfield on Friday, back home to face Pittsfield again on Saturday, then go to Pittsfield Sunday, July 4. They’ll leave Pittsfield and then have to travel for back-to-back games next Monday and Tuesday at Vermont. It’s likely it’ll be an overnight stay but that hasn’t been confirmed.