-Noah Connors

Last year’s baseball season ended abruptly due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Fitchburg State baseball team sat at 3-6, just finishing up a doubleheader with Concordia University when they were told that their season was being postponed. A full year later, they are finally ready to suit up again for the green and gold.  

The last time that the Falcons played a full season, they made it all the way to the MASCAC championship, before falling to Westfield State. The loss of graduating seniors, Brandon Lefebvre, Evan Meleedy, and Zachary Gull could leave a few holes in the roster for the Falcons, however there is plenty of returning talent to take over. This season, the Falcons will be led by a stellar group of seniors and grad students, adding age and experience to the program. Returning Senior Nicholas Cordeau sticks out in the lineup, recently being named to the 2021 All-NEBJ Preseason Team. This comes after having a monster season in 2019, earning himself the honor of All-MASCAC First Team. The Falcons will also be led by a few more seniors with years of experience behind them. Players such as catcher Matthew Pingitore and pitcher Aidan Ward will try to propel Fitchburg baseball back to the MASCAC championship.  

Despite losing a few key players from last year’s team, the Falcons were recently chosen as the third best team in the MASCAC, according to the Pre-Season Coaches Poll. The Falcons did earn a first place vote, being ranked only behind Westfield State and Framingham State. The poll predicts that the Falcons will have a somewhat high finish, as there are eight teams that round out the MASCAC.  

Fitchburg has an intriguing amount of youth and potential filling out a roster that is also full of experienced veterans. These young players will have their numbers called often throughout a uniquely scheduled season. The team will have to make every game count, as this is a somewhat shortened season due to Covid cancellations. All scheduled games will be played against MASCAC teams, so every game will be important. The scheduling limitations should make for an exciting season within the conference.

Due to a few early season cancellations, The Fitchburg State Baseball team kicked off their season with a double header at home against Westfield State. The games took place at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on April 2. There were no spectators allowed at the event.