Shane Wockley is tied atop the league with four homers, and is hitting .321 for the Nashua Silver Knights after a big week last week. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Don’t look now but the Nashua Silver Knights are continuing their long, arduous climb.

Nashua has won four of its last five following its horrendous 2-15 start, and is no longer in the Futures Collegiate League basement.

But those steps onward and upward get much tougher this week, despite the Knights being at Holman Stadium for four straight nights beginning with tonight’s game at 6 vs. the Worcester Bravehearts.

The next four games are against the teams with the best four records in the league. Worcester is 13-7, while New Britain, which comes in for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, is 13-9. Thursday’s opponent is none other than the Vermont Lake Monsters, who are a league best 16-5. Big surprise, right? They’re visit to Holman will be their first since last year’s Finals Game 2 walk-off win last August, which set up the deciding Game 3 in Vermont.

Finally, the Norwich Sea Unicorns are here on Friday, currently in fourth at 12-10.

The doubleheader Wednesday is a makeup of the suspended game due to rain that took place on Friday, June 2, as Nashua had a 3-1 lead after one inning. Both games will be seven innings.

STATS AND STUFF

Nashua’s Shane Wockley, who had a week to remember last week, is seventh in the league in hitting at .321, and is also tied with Westfield’s Nick Serce for the lead in homers with four. Wockley has 12 RBIs, while Shane McNamara is seventh in the FCBL with 14 ribbies.

McNamara is hitting .282, while leadoff hitter Luca Giallongo has 11 stolen bases. Giallongo, who played for Westfield last season, wanted to play closer to where he goes to school – New England College in Henniker. Hence, hello, Nashua.

The Knights are sixth in the league in pitching with a 5.11 team ERA, and seventh in hitting at .213. For starting pitching, Thomas Rioux has had hard luck. He has the best ERA among the starters with more than one decision at 3.00, but is 0-3.

ATTENDANCE

Worcester has regained its prominence atop the FCBL in attendance, averaging 2,192 per game (10 dates), just ahead of the leader the last couple of years, Vermont (2,166). Where’s Nashua? Currently fifth with 11 dates at 1,455 – which is good for the Silver Knights before school is fully out (it ends in Nashua this week) and while the weather has been abysmal for the most part. Plus the glut of early to mid weeknight games, which don’t draw well – especially in cloudy, raw weather.

New Britain (1,765) and Norwich (1,542) are third and fourth, respectively.

This week is the final time this season Nashua has as many as four consecutive nights with home games. That also cuts down on attendance, and this was the case last week as well.

ANOTHER FCBL MAJOR LEAGUER

Former Boston College and New Britain Bees pitcher Emmet Sheehan became the 15th Futurs League alum to reach the Major Leagues with his Los Angeles Dodger debut this past Friday night.

Sheehan pitched with the Bees inaugural team in 2020 but also pitched for the Bristol (Conn.) Blues when they were still in the league.

Sheehan was a sixth round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2021, the 13th ranked prospect, and he made quite a debut firing six no-hit innings vs. the San Francisco Giants. He got a no-decision, though, as the Giants scored seven times after he left for a 7-5 11-inning win.

At Double A Tulsa he was 4-1, 1.86 ERA, the Texas League leader in strikeouts (88) and average against (.131).

He also played in the 2018 FCBL All-Star Game at Holman Stadium. Earlier this season, on May 9, former Wachusett Dirt Dog infielder – the franchise no longer exists – Jake Alu had his debut for the Washington Nationals.

Also, closer to home, former Silver Knight Chris Shaw, who played briefly in the Majors with the Giants in 2018, then ended up in the Orioles organization as well as Independent ball, is back in affiliated ball in the Chicago White Sox organization. Shaw was a key component of Nashua’s 2012 championship team, arguably the best team in franchise history.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

As was reported here last month, the Futures League will be back on NESN this summer for the fourth straight season, but with a twist. Instead of Saturday day games, there will be four games on Thursday nights in July and early August. Believe it or not, the Red Sox have no games scheduled for four consecutive Thursdays.

And, the game at Holman Stadium will be on Thursday, July 20, the Silver Knights vs. Brockton. The first game is July 13, Vermont at Worcester, and the other two are Westfield at Norwich (July 27) and Worcester-Vermont again on Aug. 3. That will be the first NESN game ever at Vermont’s Centennial Field in Burlington.

Everything fell into place. The Saturday day games weren’t well attended, thanks to heat, etc., and the Thursday’s were open.

“The change to a prime time spot on Thursday night will help the evolution of the Futures League as we strive to be one of the best summer collegiate leagues in the country,” FCBL commissioner Joe Paolucci said in a release.

Last year’s NESN game was a thriller vs. Pittsfield with a Shane McNamara walk-off hit.

ANOTHER DOUBLEHEADER

Last Wednesday’s suspended game – Nashua had runners at first and third in the bottom of the first in a scoreless game vs. Westfield – will be made up with another seven-inning doubleheader on Saturday, July 1, first game at 3 p.. and second at 6 p.m. Tickets from Wednesday, the team announced, can be redeemed as flex tickets for an equal or lesser value.