Drury, Hoosac Valley Team Up for Baseball Co-Op This Spring

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. –  The Drury Blue Devils and Hoosac Valley Hurricanes are joining forces this spring for a co-op baseball team. 

 

Drury, the host school, is coming off a strong 2023 campaign. The Blue Devils went 16-5 overall and advanced to the Round of 16 in the MIAA Division 5 State Tournament.

 

Blue Devils coach Rob Jutras is excited about the possibilities of teaming up with the rival Hurricanes, who did not have enough players signed up to make a varsity squad.

 

“It’s a great opportunity for the kids of Hoosac Valley to play spring baseball,” Jutras said. “You never want to see a team disband like that, so giving the kids somewhere and something to give them the chance to play baseball is overall a great thing.”

 

He said this co-op as a test for the players.

 

“This is kind of a leap of faith to come over to a new school and a new program where you do not know many people, you do not know how things work and it just shows incredible commitment from the players that love the game,” he said.

 

Jutras said he was not sure whether the co-op would be a one-year or long-term arrangement for the schools.

 

“We can not really decide on that outcome, but we can all hope the program gets running again next year for them,” he said. “Any school eventually will want its program back. That’s always the alternative goal since this stuff never really happens. We have the same athletic director [Jeff Puleri], and everything, so getting the chance to develop these kids is a truly great thing.

 

“As regards to the whole program we do hope they can get back running within the next year so one year sounds like the plan currently.”

 

The change also presented some scheduling challenges, as all Hoosac Valley’s prospective opponents had to fill a hole in their schedules.

 

Two returners from last year’s Drury squad will serve as captains for the 2024 season: sophomore shortstop and pitcher Connor Hinkell and junior first baseman Colby Malloy, each in their fourth year with the Blue Devils program.

 

Jutras said there are pros and cons to the co-op.

 

“It’s just a sad situation all around you never want to see something like this happen to a program, not having enough players,” he said. “But looking at this from a coaching perspective we are quite happy to bring all these players in and excited to call some of them over. You know the Hoosac Valley is quite passionate about their sports and the kids coming over are awesome people, you know, so yeah we are happy to have them all come over for the season”