Tough Weekend For Groton Baseball

Memorial Day weekend will be one to forget in the annals of Groton baseball history.

The University of Connecticut at Avery Point was eliminated quickly, losing its first two games in the NCAA Division II Junior College World Series in Enid, Okla. The Pointers, who finished as national runners-up last year, made five errors while falling 9-6 in the opener to Heartland (Okla.). They followed by striking out 15 times in a  5-0 loss  to Des Moines Iowa Community College.

Nothing but positives can be derived after making a national tournament, although you'd like to stick around to make things interesting.

Fitch High, seemingly an annual fixture to at least the state tournament quarterfinals, made a similar quiet, quick exit, losing in the Class L qualifying round to Stratford, 6-2, Saturday. It was definitely unfamiliar territory for the Falcons. The loss gives Fitch its first losing record (10-11) in at least 15 years. And they were playing at Washington Park in the City of Groton instead of Fitch High.

The latter fact is a signal for happier days ahead for Groton baseball. Fitch High's field is currently under a fast-forward, $500,000 renovation to become a baseball stadium for the high school and new home for the Mystic Schooners' New England Collegiate Baseball League franchise.

Bob Peruzzotti, a Groton Board of Education member and defacto local public relations director for the Schooners, says the new stadium will be the jewel of Groton athletic facilities. No knock on Washington Park, but a municipal field can't compare to having lights, bleachers and dugouts at the school.

"It's going to be one of the finest high school facilities you'll ever see," Peruzzotti said. "We're putting a fence around the outfield to give it more of a ballpark feel, installing about 500 bleacher seats this year and 500 more for next year. There will be picnic and play areas to make it a nice family destination for summer baseball."

The NECBL teams, comprised mostly of Division I players from major conferences, will have a shorter poke to hit homers than Fitch players have ever had.

"The fence dimensions will be traditional, about 320 to the left field foul pole, 370 to the alleys and 400 to center," Peruzzotti said.

In Fitch's old field, the tennis court fence, about 370 feet away, served as the left field fence. Hitters needed to blast a ball 390 to reach the left-center field parking lot and about 415 to leave the field in center and about 395 to right center.

The Schooners plan to open at home June 24 in a exhibition against the Team USA collegiate team, which is making a tour of NECBL franchises. Each team in the 12-team league plays 42 games, 21 at home. The Schooners' home opener June 12 against Danbury will likely be moved to Washington Park to Dodd Stadium.

The Schooners, formerly the Bristol Collegiates, are working at a hectic pace to prepare for their first season in a new facility. Securing host families for the roster of 20, which includes Waterford's Colin O'Keefe, who played at Virginia Tech this spring, is a priority.  Thus ticket information, promotions and a complete schedule are works in progress. The Schooners feature a new website, mysticbaseball.org for more information. Games will be broadcast via the Internet on New England Collegiate Baseball League's website.

But once July 4 rolls around, the Schooners will be playing in the jewel of Groton sports' facilities, and the Memorial Day weekend of quick exits will be forgotten.