Welcome to "Back to the Futures: The Official Podcast of the FCBL." Bringing you the latest exclusive content and interviews with players, coaches, and general managers from across the league!
The 2024 Futures League awards have been announced! Mark Quatrani of the Vermont Lake Monsters is this years Most Valuable Player. On the pitching side, Worcester Bravehearts Brady Stuart is your Pitcher of the Year. We are joined by both players on the Season 9 finale of Back to the Futures, where they discuss what it means to capture their respective awards, they reflect on the summer, talk about what they will bring back with them to school and more to wrap up the 2024 summer!
The Norwich Sea Unicorns have captured the 2024 Championship to win back to back titles. We are joined by General Manager Lee Walter Jr and head coach Kevin Murphy, who break down how special this team was and how they stayed poised and locked in all season long. We are also joined by the hero Nick Tomasetto, who had the walk off double to win the championship, AJ Soldra, who scored the game winning run and Bo Yaworski, who tied the game in the 8th. All of this and more on the latest Back to the Futures!
The 2024 Futures League Postseason is finally here! After a long season, we have our final four teams! The 1-seeded Norwich Sea Unicorns find themselves in a 2023 championship rematch with the 4-seeded Vermont Lake Monsters. On the other side, Bullens Magic is alive and well as the 2-seed and face pollination nation in the 3-seeded New Britain Bees. Will Norwich defend their title? Will Bullen's Magic conquer all? Will the Bees sting the competition on their way to victory? Or will those pesky Vermont Lake Monsters return to glory? Back to the Futures has you covered with a full Postseason preview and we give our predictions prior to Monday nights first pitch!
The 2024 Futures League All Star Game has concluded with Team Rose City defeating Team Three Rivers 9-1. Owen Shadrick and Matt Ferreira summarize the two day All Star festivities and bring you interviews from a number of people, including Joe Paolucci, the coaches for the All Star Game and various all-star players, including the Player of the Game AJ Soldra.
The May/June Pitcher of the Month joins Back to the Futures! Brady Stuart talks about his first season in Worcester, his thoughts on the incredible start he has displayed and what it would mean to be a Futures League All Star. He also talks about his time at Endicott, his mentality while pitching a no hitter, being a Division III baseball player and much more!
The first Futures League Road Warrior to appear on Back to the Futures is shortstop Gill Dolan! Gill talks about being a Road Warrior, adjusting to the college baseball life as a freshman and playing games only on the road. He also talks about battling through major adversity, his high school career, his unique high school coach and much more!
Andrew Rondini, pitcher for the Norwich Sea Unicorns, joins Back to the Futures! Andrew talks about his summer so far, facing college talent for the first time and his relationship with his Norwich coaches. He also talks about being recruited to Rutgers, being featured in the New England Baseball Journal, his career at Canterbury High School and more!
The Week 2 Player of the Week and Nashua Silver Knights pitcher Tom Rioux joins Back to the Futures! He talks about the start to his 2nd year in Nashua, playing so close to his hometown, his relationship with his manager and more! Rioux also talks about his experience at Colby, playing at Pinkerton Academy, his goals outside of baseball and much more!
Season 9 Episode 1: Mavrick Rizy by thefuturesleague
The 2024 Futures League season is here! We kick things off by talking with Futures League Commissioner Joe Paolucci who discusses what he is looking forward to most about 2024, the newest Futures League franchise, the All Star Game in Norwich and more! We also here from Matt and Owen about the teams and players they are looking forward to most and more!
Back to the Futures presents a tribute to the great Pete Wilk, who passed away on April 2nd after a courageous battle with brain cancer. We bring on a number of people that discuss the impact Pete had on their lives and the best moments and stories they have of Pete. To continue supporting the Wilk family, we encourage you to donate via the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-coach-pete-wilk-and-family Special thanks for joining us.... Futures Commissioner Joe Paolucci Vermont Lake Monsters Senior Vice President CJ Knudsen Lake Monsters Assistant Head Coach and Pitching Coach Matt Fincher Lake Monsters Owner Chris English Lake Monsters Director of Baseball Operations Morgan Brown Lake Monsters Host Family Coordinator Freda Tutt Futures League Crew Chief Jeff Kleiner Lake Monsters Outfielder Colby Brouillette Lake Monsters Catcher Tyler Favretto Former Lake Monsters Pitcher Tim Noone and Former Lake Monsters Outfielder Jimmy Evans
Brennan Hyde, outfielder for the Norwich Sea Unicorns, joins Back to the Futures! Brennan talks about his excitement to rejoin the Sea Unicorns in his third Futures League season, he talks about winning the 2023 title and discusses his expectations for 2024. He also talks about his time at Nichols, moving to New England from Tampa Bay, Florida, he gives advice to those heading into summer ball for the first time and much more!
The newest owners of the Worcester Bravehearts join Back to the Futures! Father Frank and son Matt Vaccaro join the show to discuss how they came to own the Bravehearts, their newest partnership with the cross-town Woo Sox, and their goals for their ownership tenure! They also talk about their backgrounds, their company Masis solutions, the impression they hope to leave on the Bravehearts and more!
Happy Division I Opening Day everyone! Baseball finally returns this Friday and we are here to preview it all with help from Peter Flaherty of Baseball America and Dan Guttenplan of the New England Baseball Journal! We preview each of the major New England schools including Northeastern, Boston College and the University of Connecticut. Peter and Dan also explain which other New England teams to look out for, they discuss top Futures League prospects in the pros, as well as take a little dive into their backgrounds. All of this and much more on this episode of Back to the Futures!
Another new coach joins the show! The Westfield Starfires newest Manager Paul Bonfiglio joins us to discuss what it means to be the new manager, what he learned under previous manager Kyle Dembrowski and, of course, we ask him about "Bullens Magic." We also discuss his time at Framingham State, being a High School head coach, his time as a journalist and much more!
The 2020 MVP returns to Back to the Futures! Ben Rice joins us to talk about his name getting called by the Yankees, his journey through the minor leagues and his big league aspirations. He also reflects on his time with the Futures League, winning the championship in 2019, playing during the "improbable summer" of 2020 and more!
The new Pittsfield Suns head coach joins Back to the Futures! Mike Gladu talks about getting the call from the Suns, working as an assistant in the Futures League and being able to coach at historic Wahconah Park. He also talks about coaching at Williams, his days with the Cubs organization and much more!
The former Brockton Rox and current Red Sox prospect Justin Reimer join Back to the Futures! Justin talks about his time in the league, what he learned during his 2021 season and playing against elevated competition. He also talks about getting the call from the Red Sox, life in the minor leagues, recovering from ACL surgery and more!
The former Vermont Lake Monsters and current Duke Blue Devils join Back to the Futures! Outfielder Jimmy Evans and pitcher Tim Noone give their perspective on life in the Futures League, being on the winning and losing side of a championship game and more! They also discuss playing for the Blue Devils, their journey from Division III to Division I and life together as roommates! All of this and more on the latest episode!
The highest MLB draft pick in Futures League history joins Back to the Futures! Matt Shaw jumps on the show to discuss his incredible tenure in the Futures League, being drafted 13th overall by the Chicago Cubs this year, his time at Maryland and more. We also are joined by Bravehearts manager Alex Dion who talks about Matt and the 2020 season in the league, his first impressions of Shaw and what he saw in him both on and off the field. All of this and more on the latest episode. Tune in!
Back to the Futures kicks off Season 8! Shane McNamara, a 3-year veteran of the Futures League, joins Back to the Futures to discuss earning first team all-Futures League honor, being one of the recipients of the Adam Keenan scholarship and being a 2022 champion. He also gives us an inside scoop into his journey through the transfer portal, his college career so far, the impact summer baseball has had on his career and much more!
The MVP and Pitcher of the Year join Back to the Futures! Fresh off a record breaking season and championship run, Dean Ferrara talks about winning the 2023 title, his relationship with 2023 Manager of the Year Kevin Murphy and the crowd in Norwich all summer. After wrapping up his third year in Vermont, Francis Ferguson talks about another successful summer in Vermont, his first all star game and the impact summer baseball has had on his life and career. All of this and more on the latest episode!
The Norwich Sea Unicorns are the 2023 champions of the Futures League after defeating the Vermont Lake Monsters 2-1 in the winner take all championship game last Sunday. After the game, we spoke with a number of players and Sea Unicorn personnel, including General Manager Lee Walter Jr. and 2023 Manager of the Year Kevin Murphy. You will also hear from playoff MVP Johnny Knox, championship game hero Zach Donahue, catcher Matt Malcom, pitcher Mark Capell and the man who closed it out in Daniel Cohen. Take a listen here! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
Hosts Owen Shadrick and Matt Ferreira dive deep into the team and individual stats of the top 4 teams remaining at a shot at a Futures League Championship Title!
We are joined by Nick Serce, first basemen for the Westfield Starfires, who talks about his time at the All-Star Game, including participating in the Home Run Derby, playing in the game itself, and being named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Serce also talks about his time at Alfred State, his recruitment to American International College for the upcoming season and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
For the first time in 37 years, the ASG is back in Burlington VT! The Vermont Lake Monsters host our mid summer classic and have many fun activities and events planned. Before the festivities begin, hear from CJ Knudsen, vice president of the Lake Monsters about what to expect and the two coaches, Vermont Lake Monsters pitching coach Matt Fincher and Nashua Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson, about their strategy for the game. Finally, hear from some of your 2023 All-Stars including Vermont Lake Monsters Tommy Martin, Norwich Sea Unicorns Brennan Hyde and New Britain Bees Brian Hart. All of this and more on the 2023 Futures League All Star Special!
Owen McHugh, pitcher for the Brockton Rox and the MIAA Player of the Year, joins Back to the Futures! Owen talks about being a freshman in the Futures League, facing new and improved competition and the lessons he has learned during his first year. He also talks about his anticipation for Williams College, his plan to balance football and baseball, his illustrious career at Milton High School and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
We have the veteran of veterans on this week of Back to the Futures! Shayne Audet, pitcher for the Westfield Starfires, joins the show to talk about his 2023 season, his start in the Futures League in 2018 and his baseball journey during that span. He also talks about his time at New England College, playing with his brother at school, his pitching arsenal and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
Season 7 Episode 6: Francis Ferguson by thefuturesleague
Episode 5 features our first Futures League newcomer on Season 7 of Back to the Futures! Jared Kuryan joins the show to talk about the no hitter he threw on Father's Day his first impressions of the Futures League and playing so close to his hometown in Madison, CT. He also talks about his time at Western New England College, how he became a pitcher, the other no-hitter he threw and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
Zach Gitschier, a 3-year veteran of the Nashua Silver Knights, joins Back to the Futures! Zach talks about winning the 2022 title with Nashua, his favorite parts about playing baseball there and earning the 2022 Adam Keenan Scholarship Award for his team. He also discusses his time at SNHU, transferring from Clark University, his interest in teaching and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
The Worcester Bravehearts closer joins Back to the Futures! Dennis Colleran talks about his second stint with the Bravehearts, what drew him back this summer, his relationship with coach Dion and more! He also talks about his time at Northeastern, his recovery from Tommy John, his many high school accolades and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
The 2-year veteran joins Back to the Futures! Johnny Knox of the Norwich Sea Unicorns talks about the start to his first full Futures League season, his relationship with new manager Kevin Murphy and being a 2022 champion last year in Nashua. He also talks about his time at Nichols and their vast network in the Futures League, how he came to New England from New Jersey and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
Season 7 kicks off with the Pittsfield Suns Opening Day starter Ryan LaPierre! Ryan talks about entering his third year in Pittsfield, what he has learned from the managers he has played under, the 2021 Suns run and more! He also discusses his time at Westfield State, the transfer portal, being from Pittsfield and attending Pittsfield High school and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
FUTURES LEAGUE SUMMER 2023 IS FINALLY HERE! The Futures League will officially be live today and we sit down for yet another opening day with commissioner Joe Paolucci. Joe discusses his excitement for the season, his advice to our many new coaches, his favorite promotions and much more! Tune in for the start of Season 7 of Back to the Futures on Monday! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
The 2022 Futures League Championship MVP joins the Season 6 finale of Back to the Futures! Jack McDermott is returning for 2023 with the Nashua Silver Knights and he talks about coming back, his incredible run in 2022 and the "Gate City" rebrand in Nashua. He also touches on his time at Amherst College, the upcoming playoffs in the NESCAC, his favorite Amherst food places and more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
New co-host and a new manager??? It is a big week on Back to the Futures! We welcome Matt Ferreira as the newest co-host for the podcast. Matt is a pitcher at Emerson College and we are excited to have his perspective on the show! For this week, we welcome the newest manager of the Norwich Sea Unicorns, Kevin Murphy. Murphy talks about getting the call to manage the team, what he learned as a pitching coach last season and his relationship with GM Lee Walter Jr. He also talks about his volunteer assistant position at Quinnipiac, his playing days at Eastern Connecticut State and Nichols and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
The new Pittsfield Suns manager joins Back to the Futures! Chad Shade talks about taking over the reins in Pittsfield, his time as a player in the league and the impact friends and previous managers have already had on him. He also talks about starting his coaching career at Kansas State, his playing career at Springfield College, playing in Division I vs Division III and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
Two of New England's best join Back to the Futures! Tom King, from the Nashua Telegraph, and Howard Herman, from the Berkshire Eagle, sit down with Owen to discuss their coverage of the Nashua Silver Knights and Pittsfield Suns since both teams inaugurations into the league, which has included multiple championship appearances and multiple now Major League Players. They also discuss their favorite stories from their career, what it was like covering years of Boston sports success, how important it is for them to cover high school sports and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
Wyatt Cameron, relief pitcher for the Vermont Lake Monsters, joins Back to the Futures! Wyatt talks about the decision to return for the 2023 season, his manager Pete Wilk and what it has meant to play for Vermont the last two seasons. He also talks about his time at New England College, being a D3 player, the new pitch clock rule in Major League Baseball and more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
Kyle Dembrowski, the manager of the Westfield Starfires, joins Back to the Futures! Kyle talks about what it meant to become manager in 2022, what he hopes to accomplish in 2023 and, of course, Bullens Magic. He also talks about his coaching at Spalding and Worcester State, the importance of the pitcher-catcher relationship, his advice to players and much more! Happy MLB Opening Day! Dig In For Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
TJ Wachter, first basemen and outfielder for the 2022 Worcester Bravehearts, joins Back to the Futures! TJ talks about his experience with the Futures League in 2022, the chemistry in the Worcester locker room and the professionalism from the top on down in the organization, He also discusses his time at Fordham, his high school baseball and basketball career, his success in Little League and much more! Dig in for Pete: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
Lee Walter Jr., general manager for the Norwich Sea Unicorns joins Back to the Futures! Lee talks about stepping into the GM role before last season, his excitement for the upcoming summer and his time with the organization since 2018 and the changes they have gone through. He also discusses his time at Eastern Connecticut State, he gives advice those just starting out in the sport industry, he gives his perspective on the new rule changes in the MLB and much more! Link to "Dig in for Pete" bracelets: https://lakemonsters.milbstore.com/products/dig-in-for-pete-bracelet
George Welch, 3-year Futures League veteran and 2022 champion joins Back to the Futures! George talks about his three seasons in Nashua, winning the championship last year and the culture that the Silver Knights staff has built. He also discusses his time at Southern New Hampshire University, the transfer portal, his recovery from Tommy John surgery and much more! https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-coach-pete-wilk-and-family
Marika Lyszczyk, who will become the first female player in Futures League history, joins Back to the Futures! Marika talks about her love for baseball growing up, how she ended up in Brockton and how much she is looking forward to being back in New England this summer. She also talks about her recruitment to Sonoma State University, her role with the creator class and Major League Baseball, who she looked up to growing up and much more! PETE WILK GOFUNDME: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-coach-pete-wilk-and-family
On Season 6 Episode 2, we welcomed on a Futures League veteran to the show: Pittsfield Suns Pitcher Tim Cianciolo! Tim talks about his offseason and preparations before his “senior” season at UMass Boston, his pride for being part of a Division III program and the statement his future coach made that led him to becoming a Beacon. He also talks about his two seasons in Pittsfield, being named an all-star with the Futures League both seasons, his two managers with the Suns, being a “academic weapon” and much more! PETE WILK GOFUNDME: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-coach-pete-wilk-and-family
Back to the Futures is back! College Baseball is back! Happy Division I College Baseball Opening Day everyone and welcome back to another season of Back to the Futures. In the season premiere, we sit down with five Futures Leaguers, who will all be starting their new college seasons today. Juaron Watts-Brown from the Brockton Rox and Oklahoma State, Will Andrews from the 2022 Champion Nashua Silver Knights and Wake Forest, Danny Crossen from the Westfield Starfires and Northeastern, Brian Hart, who is returning to the New Britain Bees in 2023, and attending Hofstra and Kyle Wolff, the hero of the 2022 Nashua Silver Knights from Boston College all join the show. You do not want to miss this episode, so tune in! In addition, please consider contributing to the Go Fund Me for Vermont Lake Monsters head coach Pete Wilk here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-coach-pete-wilk-and-family
The Nashua Silver Knights are the 2022 Futures League Champions! They defeated the Vermont Lake Monsters in an epic back-and-forth Game 3, including a go-ahead ninth inning home run by Kyle Wolff. We spoke with owner of the Silver Knights John Creedon, General Manager Cam Cook and Assistant General Manager Katie Arend and Field Manager Kyle Jackson about the Silver Knights and how each of them used the other to help will this title. In addition, we spoke with the MVP of the championship series Jack McDermott about his epic run in the playoffs and playing for this team from the start. Finally, we spoke with numerous players including Game 3 starting pitcher Noah Wachter, the Game 3 closer Will Andrews, the hero of the Silver Knights Kyle Wolff, as well as Jonah Wachter, Shea Ryan, Aiven Cabral, Greg Bozzo and Zach Gitschier
The Nashua Silver Knights 1B/DH joins Back to the Futures! Kyle talks about the Silver Knights clinching the third seed in the Futures League playoffs, his first taste of college competition and how he has leaned on the veteran leadership in the locker room to guide his summer. He also talks about facing college competition for the first time, his anticipation for Boston College, his high school experience at Middlesex School and much more! Presented by ChangeUp, Zephyr, 78 Sports and Zorian Bat Company!
The 2022 Most Outstanding Pitcher at the Futures League All-Star game and current Vermont Lake Monster Sean Matson joins Back to the Futures. Sean talks about his season, in which he leads the league in strikeouts and ERA, the team chemistry in Vermont and how he ended up with the team. He also talks about his time at Harvard, his family of athletes, the advice he received from former Futures Leaguers and much more! Presented by ChangeUp, Zephyr, 78 Sports and Zorian Bat Company.
Teddy Schoenfeld, 2022 All-Star and New Britain Bee, joins Back to the Futures! Teddy talks about his hot start to the season, being named an all-star and how he has acclimated to the Bees, despite being a new addition. He also discusses his time at MIT, the MIT pipeline to the major leagues, his time in Boulder, Colorado and much more! Presented by ChangeUp, Zephyr, 78 Sports and Zorian Bat Company.
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