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HistoriaLowell Spinners returning in 2026 as Futures Collegiate Baseball League club at LeLacheur Park
The Spinners are back on the diamond in 2026, joining the Futures Collegiate Baseball League and bringing summer baseball back to LeLacheur Park while preserving players’ NCAA eligibility [1][2]. UMass Lowell, which owns and operates the ballpark, is on board as a partner as the city’s club turns the lights back on along the Merrimack [2].The new group is led by general partners John Croteau and Marc Deschenes, with veteran executive Tim Bawmann named chief operating officer. Limited partners include Johnny Damon, Mark Budzinski and Zach Sorensen, adding big‑league pedigree to the relaunch [2]. LeLacheur Park, home of the UMass Lowell River Hawks, once again serves as the Spinners’ home field [2].The club will play a late‑May to early‑August slate in the FCBL and plans to showcase national‑caliber prospects while prioritizing regional and local talent, pairing on‑field development with community partnerships across the Merrimack Valley [2].Lowell’s baseball lineage runs through the Red Sox era: the Spinners were Boston’s Short‑Season Class A affiliate through the 2020 reorganization and produced alumni such as Mookie Betts, Kevin Youkilis, Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury [1][3]. The return links the city’s fan base to a familiar name and ballpark while opening a new chapter in the collegiate summer ranks [1][2].Fans can follow roster and ticket updates on the club’s site and social channels as opening night approaches [4][5].
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HistoriaBaseball is back in Lowell as the Spinners sell out LeLacheur return
Lowell’s ballclub is back where it belongs. The Spinners relaunched this spring in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League and returned to LeLacheur Park, ending a six-year pause with a packed house for their homecoming night [3][5][2]. The opener sold out and set the tone for a summer built on fireworks, kids running the bases, and a budget-friendly night at the yard [2][1].The reboot features a new leadership spine, with principal owner and chief baseball officer Mark Deschenes guiding the project and Kevin Graber in the dugout as manager [1]. The mission is clear: keep it close to home and easy on the wallet, with tickets in roughly the $10–$12 range to bring families back to the riverfront [1].On the field, the Spinners have slotted straight into the Futures League slate, with familiar regional foes like Nashua, Worcester, and New Britain dotting the schedule and stats tracking live on the league site [4]. Fans can find game info, promotions, and updates through the club’s channels as the homestand rhythm settles in [6].The return also taps into a legacy that still resonates in the Mill City. Past Spinners have climbed all the way to MLB, a roll call that includes Mookie Betts, Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jacoby Ellsbury, and local leaders see the club’s revival as a lift for nearby restaurants and downtown foot traffic on game nights [1]. After one cathartic, sold-out night at LeLacheur, it feels like Lowell baseball again [2][1].
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HistoriaLowell Spinners set to return in 2026 as Futures League club at LeLacheur Park
The Spinners name is officially coming back to LeLacheur Park in 2026, with a Futures Collegiate Baseball League club set to open play in May under the Lowell Spinners banner. [1][3][4] UMass Lowell will host the team at university-owned LeLacheur Park, reconnecting campus and city around summer baseball. [2]Leadership has been introduced with John Croteau as chairman and CEO and Marc Deschenes as principal owner and chief baseball officer, highlighting deep local connections and Deschenes’ minor-league time in the Red Sox system. [2][5]The new Spinners will compete as a collegiate summer team—unaffiliated with MLB or the Boston Red Sox—playing a full Futures League slate across New England beginning in late May. [3][5] The relaunch emphasizes community engagement and local partnerships as pillars of the project. [2][3]For Lowell, the revival stitches back a proud line of baseball at LeLacheur Park, more than five years after the original professional Spinners era came to an end. [1][4][6] First pitch of the new era arrives in May 2026, with the lights of LeLacheur back on and the Spinners script returning to the banks of the Merrimack. [3][4]
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HistoriaSpinners back at LeLacheur Park as Futures League club; Damon joins ownership
LeLacheur Park is set for summer nights again as the Spinners return to the field in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, marking the club’s on-field comeback in Lowell [2][1].The relaunch is spearheaded by principal owner and chief baseball officer Marc Deschenes, with former Red Sox star Johnny Damon among the ownership partners, signaling ambition both on the field and in the community [2][3].The organization frames the move around a community- and family-first identity, reaffirming its Lowell roots and a lineage that traces back to 1996 [3].
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HistoriaFour Spinners picked for inaugural Northeast Prospects Game at Dodd Stadium
The Spinners’ pipeline is on display this summer, with four selections to the inaugural Northeast Prospects Game at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn. Catcher Bradley McCafferty — headed to Virginia and the 2025 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year — joins outfielders Quinn Murphy and Jack Quigley (both Maine) and David Vanderzouwen (Bentley) on the Futures League prospects roster [1].The showcase at the home of the Norwich Sea Unicorns pits Futures League standouts against a Northeast Scout Team, with representation from all seven league clubs set to take part [1].The call-ups arrive as the club keeps investing in its player pathway locally, including the Futurespinners youth initiative that connects kids in the Merrimack Valley to the game [2].
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HistoriaLowell Spinners to make 2026 return in Futures League, back at LeLacheur Park
The Spinners are officially back. The club will take the field in 2026 in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, restoring summer nights at LeLacheur Park and marking the return of a beloved Lowell identity. [1][2]General partners Marc Deschenes and John Croteau are leading the project, with former big‑leaguer Johnny Damon among the investors, signaling ambition on and off the field. [1][2] The front office includes COO Tim Bawmann, while limited partners Mark Budzinski and Zach Sorensen join the group. [3]Home games will be at UMass Lowell’s 4,700‑seat LeLacheur Park, keeping the team anchored on the riverfront and tied closely to the university community. The Futures League slate runs roughly from late May through early August, putting college talent under the lights at the ballpark all summer. [3]The Spinners brand returns to a city that cheered this club as a Red Sox affiliate from the late 1990s through 2019 before minor‑league restructuring changed the landscape. The new era keeps the name, colors, and Lowell-first feel while shifting to the collegiate model. [1][2]Community touchstones are already in motion, including a Host‑a‑Player program to connect families with the roster and bring the clubhouse closer to the neighborhoods. [5] The club’s official site is live with updates on tickets, community events, and team information as the countdown to first pitch begins. [4][6]For Lowell baseball fans, it’s simple: the Spinners are back at LeLacheur, and summer belongs to the diamond again. [1][2][3]
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HistoriaLowell Spinners Set to Rejoin Futures Collegiate Baseball League in 2026
The Lowell Spinners Baseball club is set to return to LeLacheur Park in the summer of 2026 as a new franchise in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). The announcement, made on November 18, 2025, confirmed that the revived team will play a full 62‑game schedule with 31 home games slated for late May through early August at the familiar ballpark in Lowell, Massachusetts (uml.edu). The ownership group includes Marc Deschenes as principal owner and chief baseball officer and John Croteau as chairman and CEO (uml.edu). The club aims to field a competitive roster that mirrors the former New York–Penn League affiliate’s standard and emphasizes regional collegiate talent (ngscsports.com).
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HistoriaLowell Spinners Set for 2026 Return in Futures Collegiate Baseball League
The Lowell Spinners Baseball team is poised to make its return in the summer of 2026 as a member of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), bringing collegiate summer baseball back to LeLacheur Park. Former Red Sox affiliate Lowell Spinners will now compete in a league comprising college players, including notable limited partners such as former MLB outfielder Johnny Damon (wgbh.org). The ownership group, led by Marc Deschenes as principal owner and chief baseball officer and John Croteau as chairman and CEO, made the announcement during a November 18, 2025, press event at UMass Lowell’s Tsongas Center (uml.edu). The team retains its historic name and will play a full summer schedule at LeLacheur Park beginning next year (wgbh.org).
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HistoriaLowell Spinners Baseball Set for 2026 Return to LeLacheur Park
Lowell Spinners Baseball will resume play in 2026 as the club joins the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, returning to Edward A. LeLacheur Park after a six‑year hiatus following the 2020 minor league restructuring (lowellspinners.com) The new collegiate summer league franchise is led by ownership including Marc Deschenes and John Croteau, with former MLB player Johnny Damon among limited partners (sports.yahoo.com) The team is scheduled to play a 62‑game season, evenly split between home and away contests beginning in late May, with more than 11,000 season ticket packages already sold as of early 2026 (helm.news)