UMass Lowell, Futures League ink deal to bring team to LeLacheur Park

LOWELL, Mass. – Leaders from the Futures Collegiate Baseball League and UMass Lowell are swinging for the fences. Surrounded by state and local officials, baseball players and team mascots, the partners on Wednesday announced plans to bring a new team to play at LeLacheur Park beginning next spring.

"We are thrilled to welcome a Futures League team to Lowell that supports the dreams of aspiring professional athletes, provides great baseball for fans to watch and enriches life in Lowell and the Merrimack Valley," said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen. "We're eager to work with an ownership group that sees its future backing a team in the Mill City, which will also be an important entertainment addition to the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC)."

The Futures League is a summertime proving ground for collegiate athletes working to develop their talent and draw the attention of scouts while maintaining their NCAA/NAIA eligibility and amateur status. The league features a competitive schedule from late May through early August. The as-yet unnamed team would expand the league to seven franchises and draw thousands of fans to the 4,700-seat stadium. The league and university are working to identify potential owners of the Lowell franchise. 

"It has been a pleasure working with the leadership group at UMass Lowell to bring a Futures League team to this beautiful and historic ballpark. The Futures League is keeping the spirit alive from the days of Drew Weber's beloved Lowell Spinners and continuing the legacy," Futures League Commissioner Joe Paolucci said. "College baseball is booming like never before, and its fan base just keeps expanding. All summer long, Futures League teams pack stadiums across New England, giving fans of every age unforgettable experiences. This is baseball done right—affordable, thrilling, family-friendly, and full of energy, just the way Lowell residents love it."

Celebrating its 15th season in 2025, the Futures League has welcomed more than 3 million fans since its inception in 2011, while producing more than 300 future professional baseball players and 28 major leaguers. Former players have been selected in the first round of six consecutive MLB Drafts. Earlier this month, 24 Futures League players and alumni were drafted by MLB organizations including Liam Doyle, the highest pick in league history (No. 5 overall). Each of the past three full MLB seasons have featured six alumni making big league debuts.

By expanding to Lowell, the Futures League continues its momentum as one of the top summer collegiate leagues in the country. Lowell represents the third and final former NY-Penn League franchise in New England to enter the Futures League, joining the Vermont Lake Monsters and the Norwich Sea Unicorns.

Opened by the city in 1998, LeLacheur Park was built for the Lowell Spinners, a former New York-Penn League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Spinners halted play in 2020 amid a reorganization of baseball's minor leagues. Just two years later, UMass Lowell purchased the park located on its East Campus, not only for its River Hawks baseball team but with an eye toward fielding another team at the stadium.

Connections between the Futures League, the university and city of Lowell run deep. The league was co-founded by Spinners owner Drew Weber. UMass Lowell baseball Head Coach Nick Barese spent two years as coach of the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs, a former Futures League team in Leominster.

The new team will contribute to the activity of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC), which is being created through a public-private partnership driven by UMass Lowell and the city. The initiative envisions a 1.2-million square-foot mixed-use development that includes companies co-located on campus, along with housing, retail businesses and entertainment destinations. Other sports teams in LINC, in addition to the university's teams, include the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League and the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League. Both play at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. 

"We're incredibly grateful for the support of all of our partners – in the city and the Futures League – to make this happen," said Chancellor Chen. "We'd like to say a special thank-you to Congresswoman Lori Trahan for her commitment to returning baseball to LeLacheur Park and to securing funds for the stadium's modernization. Her work has helped pave the way for this, and now we all look forward to watching a new team thrive in Lowell."

Lowell elected officials attending the event included state Rep. Vanna Howard, city councilors Erik Gitschier and Rita Mercier, Vice Mayor Paul Ratha Yem and City Manager Tom Golden. Others in attendance who are instrumental in forging the new partnership included UMass Trustee Mary Burns, a Lowell native, Weber and John Creedon Jr., president of the Futures League's Nashua Silver Knights.