The discussion about the college summer leagues throughout New England has been the eventual merger of the Futures League and the NECBL. The talent has been much better in the NECBL the last few years as it is a non-profit league while the Futures League has better attendance with a lesser caliber player. One NECBL GM Noah Crane of the Upper Valley Nighthawks has spoken up that the leagues are in a state of change.
Upper Valley Nighthawks general manager Noah Crane is concerned about the future of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
Crane admits some of his anxiety is a matter of self-interest. His team belongs to a league that, in the last 10 years, has had to adapt to a changing summer baseball landscape. More leagues exist now, meaning more teams are grabbing for the finite number of collegiate baseball players available.
There’s also the changing mindset by college baseball coaches who shut down their top-tier talent out of potential injury concerns. Additionally, the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, a for-profit venture in some of New England’s bigger markets, competes with the NECBL.
“I really don’t know” where the NECBL will be in five or 10 years, Crane said last week, as his first-place team prepared for a midweek game against the Sanford Mainers at the Maxfield Sports Complex. “If we continue to keep the status quo, I think we’re going to be in trouble. If we finally get it and start doing things differently, I think we have a chance. I think we have some great franchises. We have some great teams. We have a wonderful history and a huge alumni base that we can leverage.
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