The Frontier League will need to be bobbing and weaving out of the way of a new team in the fray for this upcoming season.

The New England Knockouts are bringing the Frontier League to Massachusetts as the league’s 16th permanent team, replacing the traveling Empire State Greys who played in the league over the past two seasons. 

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Professional baseball is back in Brockton for the first time in 13 years, and their team will be playing in none other than one of the best independent baseball leagues on the continent. And when New England plays its first game in franchise history against the Ottawa Titans on May 10, it’ll be sure to be a joyous occasion amid the start of what will be a very busy summer of baseball in the city roughly 25 miles south of Boston. 

Here’s a look ahead at all you need to know about the New England Knockouts ahead of the 2024 Frontier League season, part of FloBaseball’s coverage and analysis of independent baseball all summer long:

What Year Were the New England Knockouts Founded?

The newest member of the Frontier League (and its first club that calls New England home), the New England Knockouts were announced by the league in September of last year and will embark on its first season of play in the league this summer. 

Based in Brockton, Massachusetts, the team will be the first professional baseball club to play in the city since the Brockton Rox left the now-defunct Can-Am League in 2011 to become a collegiate summer team; the Knockouts are a separate organization to the Rox and will share a venue with the team. 

Sights and sounds from Spring training! 👀👂Volume up! ⬆️

Make sure to get your tickets now at https://t.co/FAVb5ShFPB
Watch live games on https://t.co/uraEzUwcca#Knockouts #NEKnockouts #Knockoutsbaseball #FrontierLeague pic.twitter.com/5UrSApMeLQ

— New England Knockouts (@KnockoutsBase) May 1, 2024

Who Owns the New England Knockouts?

The owner of the Knockouts, Brian Kahn, is no stranger to independent baseball. Also, the owner of the Frontier’s Windy City ThunderBolts, Kahn bought the Rox in 2022 with hopes to bring pro baseball back to Brockton, but the Rox stayed put as a summer collegiate team while the Knockouts were formed separately. Now, Kahn will have two Frontier League teams to manage this season along with a summer collegiate team, making him a busy man.

What is the History of the New England Knockouts Team Name and Mascot?

Originally announced without a name, New England at first opted to go with the nickname of “Chowdahheads,” which per the team won an online vote. 

However, reception to the name was mostly negative, and shortly after in December, the team ditched their original plan and went with the Knockouts moniker instead, paying homage to Brockton being the hometown of two Hall of Fame championship boxers in Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler. The team — whose logo features a boxing glove-wearing bulldog — hasn’t announced a mascot as of this writing, but it is hiring for one.

Have the New England Knockouts Ever Won a Frontier League Championship?

No, the New England Knockouts have never won a Frontier League Championship, due to the 2024 season being the club’s inaugural season of play.

Where Do the New England Knockouts Play?

Campanelli Stadium in Brockton will host two baseball teams this summer, the Knockouts and Rox, the first time the venue has done so since opening up in 2002. The capacity of the stadium stands at 4,750 people with field dimensions sitting at 320 feet in both left and right field and 403 feet in deep center, and the field outside of summertime plays host to Brockton High School home baseball games and even the occasional Boston College game.  

New England Knockouts Notable Alumni

There aren’t any alumni of the Knockouts due to the fact that the club still hasn’t played an official game yet, but the team is currently in the midst of building up a solid roster that it hopes will make them competitive right away in the Frontier League. 

Every player signed as of this writing is under 30 years old with the exception of 33-year-old player/coach Liam O’Sullivan, a right-handed pitcher and independent baseball veteran who tore up the Frontier the last time he played in the league as a member of the Joliet Slammers from 2016-17 (22-5 overall, 3.24 ERA, seven complete games, three shutouts). 

Many of the other names on the roster are players who honed their skills at nearby colleges, but there is also a swath of Division I talent that has been signed on for the team’s first season including left-handed pitcher Ben Seiler (Indiana), outfielder Mark Herron Jr. (Delaware State) and infielder Ramon Jimenez (Boston College). 

How to Watch the New England Knockouts

Atlantic, Frontier, Pioneer and the Coastal Summer Plain League, as well as the Florida Collegiate Summer League, all are streaming on FloBaseball and the FloSports app. 

Replays, highlights and more news can be found on the site.

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