Knights

Monday, June 24, 2024

By: Dan Allison | Silver Knights media relations

Monday’s off-day for the Silver Knights marked the one-month point for the 2024 season. Nashua is currently sitting in sixth place at 11-14, with 33 games left in the summer. Before the league heads into the fifth week of action, here is everything you need to know and watch for in the 2024 Nashua Silver Knights season.

Steps in the Right Direction

After a 1-6 start to the season, the Silver Knights have improved week by week with this past week being their best 10-game stretch. Nashua is 6-4 in their last 10, going 4-3 with a three-game win streak over the week. A walk-off win on Friday from Central Michigan’s Drew Loikits and a game-sealing pickoff from Endicott’s James Benestad on Saturday re-energized Holman Stadium this weekend as the Knights climbed out of seventh place ahead of Brockton.

Leading The Charge

In the top six statistical categories tracked by the league (AVG., HRs, RBIs, ERA, Wins, Losses), the Silver Knights are represented in the top three of five of them. UMass Lowell’s River Hart leads the league in home runs with five. Hart has already matched 2023 Silver Knight Shane McNamara, who led the team in homers last season, for his full season total. Through just fifteen games played, the Nashua native is on pace to challenge the Silver Knight all-time regular season home run record which was set by Southern New Hampshire’s Ryan Sullivan with 15.

Keene State’s Tommy Ahlers has littered his name across the stat sheet throughout June, third in average (.370) and second in RBIs (17) in the league. Ahlers also leads the league in doubles (10) and is second in stolen bases (17). 17 stolen bases also puts Ahlers in range of a franchise record, on pace to pass New England College’s Luca Giallongo with the 2023 center fielder swiping 28 bags just last season. With a strong resume so far, Ahlers could be a name to watch out for towards all-star selections.

Colby’s Derek Woods is second in the league in ERA, posting a strong 1.71 through five outings. Rye, New York’s own has been a cornerstone of the Knights’ rotation with his best outing coming on Saturday, going six innings with just one hit on seven strikeouts. Woods is also tied for third in strikeouts with 20.

Free For All

Unlike recent years, the Futures League standings have been a full-on battle between all eight teams with no one yet to pull away. Since 2021, two or more teams have gotten to the 35-win mark or greater in the regular season with every playoff team in 2023 reaching at least 35. As of today, Only the Westfield Starfires (14-8) are on pace to get to 35 wins. It is a true log jam top to bottom, with the last playoff spot sitting at just 12-11 (New Britain). For reference, Vermont sits out of the playoffs in fifth at .500 (11-11) but is just three games out from first place. This could benefit a slow-starting Silver Knights team, who tend to heat up in July with a 32-19 in the month since 2022.

All Roads Lead to Home 

Nashua will be home for five games this upcoming week, with their next seven of ten games coming at Historic Holman Stadium. While a good thing at first glance, the Silver Knights have struggled to replicate their road successes within their friendly confines. Nashua is hitting .292 on the road compared to .226 at Holman, with the Knights’ numbers jumping in every category when away. 

Despite the numbers, the Knights’ 28 runs across their four-game homestand this past weekend marks their highest run total over four games this season. After an electric weekend where the bats came alive in the 603, the upcoming homestand to close out June will not be one to miss.

With plenty of home games coming up for the red-hot Silver Knights, visit https://nashuasilverknights.com/home/ or call the office at 603-718-8883 for tickets to any future home games. Can’t make it out to the stadium? Watch the Silver Knights at home or on the go at https://fcblnetwork.com/NashuaSK/ and follow us on social media to track scores and updates.