They’ve been eyeing each other, almost with secret disdain, for the last 15 years.

Yes, the New England Collegiate Baseball League and the Futures Collegiate League have this Cold War type relationship, don’t they?

Well that will thaw a bit in the summer heat as Monday the Nashua Silver Knights will host the NECBL’s Keene Swamp Bats, one of that league’s most successful and popular franchises.

It’s an exhibition game, but not an exhibition game. Actually, it’s the first of a home-and-home series, the second game set for Keene’s Alumni Field on July 28. It’s not a “Play your B-teamers” game for the Silver Knights.

“The guys all said they want to try to win the game,” Nashua manager Nick Guarino said after Sunday’s tough 7-6 loss at Holman to New Britain.

The NECBL of course is the more established league, some 33 years old, playing its first season in 1994. It is non-profit league compared to the FCBL’s for profit business model, and the NECBL is said to be subsidized in some ways by MLB but also gets more of a Divsion I, major college player.

The FCBL has that minor league flare. There may be more Division II and III players, but the franchises are stadium oriented. They want to give the college players that minor league feeling, with a similar schedule. With the NECBL, although there are some parks like Keene’s Alumni Stadium and others with seating, it’s also have lawnchair, will travel.

The FCBL made the mistake 10 years ago of trying to expand to 10 teams and that created some bad – as in underfunded – ownerships. Back then the league wanted to grow and possibly force some kind of a merger. The NECBL just let out a big yawn and for the most part still ignores the FCBL.

It didn’t help visually that Martha’s Vineyard – an original FCBL member – plus the Bristol (Conn.) Blues and North Shore Navigators (Lynn, Mass.) opted to bolt to the NECBL . For the Navs it was a return as they had begun as an NECBL team.

But the FCBL got a major coup when a year ago it secured the lease from UMass Lowell for LeLacheur Park, leading to the rebirth of the Lowell Spinners. But it also harkens back to the birth of the FCBL. As the story goes, current Spinners team President Tim Bawmann, back in 2010, funded by owner Drew Weber, wanted the Spinners to buy the NECBL franchise previously owned by the family of the late Harry Ayotte that was in Maine and put it back in Lowell. But the NECBL balked, because it frowned on the minor league-type of atmosphere/promotions the Spinners were masters at. So Bawmann met up with now former FCBL Commissioner Chris Hall and others, got the lease for Holman Stadium, and the Futures League was born.

As part of trying to provide that minor league experience, the FCBL plays a longer schedule, going from late May to the second week in August if you include playoffs. The NECBL opens up near mid-June and ends by the end of July, and often players done may get on an FCBL roster as key playoff add-ons before rosters are frozen. That was always a B.J. Neverett move when he ran the Silver Knights roster, and it paid off with titles.

But the Swamp Bats should be the favorites here. They have former FCBLer and Pinkerton standout Jackson Marshall, the Big East Player of the Year. Marshall played two summers with the Worcester Bravehearts, dominated the FCBL last year and transferred from SNHU to UConn.

“It’ll be exciting, it’ll be fun, it’ll be good to see some of the guys who were in the league last year and how they’ve progressed,” Guarino said. “Facing some high level competition, some Power Four schools, guys who are really talented, little bit older. These young guys are going to get good experienced throwing against a Jackson Marshall.”

Guarino knows the level may be higher in the NECBL, but the FCBL has players who would do fine there, including some on the Silver Knights.

“Aaron Forgues can pitch in that leauge,” Guarino said of his closer. “Connor Smith can play in that league. It’s just a matter of getting out there being found. This league’s no different.”

But Guarino is right, the NECBL is a big school league. The FCBL has big school players, too, but that’s not the majority.

“We’re going to try to win the game,” he said. “I don’t want to have an off-day there, especially if we’re playing well. Keep the train rolling.”

Against arguably one of the best teams the Knights will see all summer.

They’ll play twice, then it’s back to the Cold War.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on X @telegraph_Tom K.

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