Granite State Showdown Set for Monday Night at Historic Holman Stadium

by Ryan Fitzpatrick

The Keene SwampBats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) will travel to the Nashua Silver Knights of the Futures League on Monday, July 13th, for the Granite State Showdown, a friendly in-state rivalry matchup at historic Holman Stadium. First pitch is set for the now-famous time of 6:03, a nod to New Hampshire's 603 area code. Both organizations bring serious hardware to the table: the SwampBats and Silver Knights have each captured six league championships in their respective leagues, making this clash a true measuring stick between two of summer collegiate baseball's most decorated programs. Fans on both sides of the state are encouraged to come out for what has become a can't-miss night on the New Hampshire baseball calendar. This will be one of the two matchups between the two teams as the Silver Knights will come back to Alumni Field to face the SwampBats on July 28th, fresh after the NECBL All-Star Game.

Monday's game will also spotlight the deep well of New Hampshire talent suiting up for both clubs. For the Silver Knights, Granite Staters on the roster include Nate Kearney (Londonderry, Stonehill College), Brendan Horne (Hooksett, VCU), Josh Martino (Windham, Southern NH), Brandon Metivier (Nashua, Wheeling University), Malcolm Klingler (Hopkinton, Northeastern University), Will Perkowski (New Boston, Southern NH), and Michael Crowley (Londonderry, Assumption University). The SwampBats counter with their own local products, including Aiden O'Connell (Bedford, Duke), Jackson Marshall (Hooksett, UConn), and Anakin Underhill (Hill, Sacred Heart). With so many hometown players taking the field, Monday's Granite State Showdown promises to be a celebration of New Hampshire baseball as much as it is a battle for state bragging rights.