The Futures League

News

Top Seeds Vermont, Pittsfield Meet in 2021 FCBL Championship Series

WEYMOUTH, Mass. (August 17, 2021) -- A first-time Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) champion will be crowned this week as the Vermont Lake Monsters and Pittsfield Suns meet in the 2021 Championship Series beginning Tuesday night in Burlington, Vt.

Vermont will host the first and, if necessary, third games of the series at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. The second game will take place at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Mass.

After setting a single-season league record with 42 wins during the regular season, the top-seeded Lake Monsters swept their way to the final series with two wins over Worcester, which had played for or won the title in the first seven years of its existence. Vermont broke the Bravehearts’ franchise-long streak by holding on for a 4-3 win on Sunday, as outfielder Brian Schaub (Trinity [Texas]) drove in two of the team’s four runs. FCBL Pitcher of the Year Patrick Harrington (Assumption) and award finalist Billy Oldham (Eastern Connecticut State) won games in the series.

Second-seeded Pittsfield makes its first-ever championship appearance after recovering from a semifinal series-opening loss to Brockton to win two straight. The Suns earned their chance to play for the title with an 8-6 win on Monday night in which they scored six runs in the sixth inning, three on a home run by center fielder Joel Lara (Franklin Pierce). Stephen Quigley (Wheaton) struck out eight and allowed just one earned run in five innings to earn the win.

Despite finishing 2.5 games behind as the second-place team, Pittsfield enjoyed success during the head-to-head series with Vermont as it went 5-3 in eight meetings and won twice in Burlington.

All three games of the FCBL Championship Series will be streamed live on fcblnetwork.com, powered by BlueFrame Technology.

For the latest news and information on the FCBL all year long, visit thefuturesleague.com and follow the league’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.