HOLYOKE – Holyoke’s Valley Blue Sox are preparing for another season, this time with new restrictions in place for visitors, players and staff.

General Manager Kate Avard said the season was quickly approaching and there was “tons of planning going on” to ensure a safe season would take place. She said the team would welcome back players, staff and spectators to MacKenzie Stadium. “We’re happy to be able to welcome back players to the area and welcome back fans to the stadium,” she said.

The Valley Blue Sox first game will take place on June 3 against the Newport Gulls at 6:35 p.m. at MacKenzie Stadium. Just one day later, the Blue Sox will host their second home game of the season on June 5 against the Mystic Schooners at 7:05 p.m.

 Avard explained that this season they “are doing things a little bit different throughout the league” to keep players, staff and visitors safe. She said during their regular season they will only play teams in their division, meaning they will only host and travel to teams located in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. However, during playoffs, Avard said they will play teams “throughout the entire league.”

“This will reduce some of the travel that we would have seen throughout the regular season,” she said.

Another step the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) has decided to take to ensure the safety of players and staff is requiring everyone be fully vaccinated upon the start of the season. “All of our players throughout the NECBL will be vaccinated, we have decided that as a league,” she said. “We’re hopeful that this will help keep everyone safe.”

Avard said that locally the team will be meeting with the city officials to follow guidelines and keep everyone safe. “We’re working very closely with the city of Holyoke with the Health Department and Parks and Recreation to follow state and local guidelines to make sure fans are staying as safe as possible,” she said.

While speaking to Reminder Publishing she said she was unable to share specific guidelines that fans may be required to follow, but said the team would be sharing more information as it became available. “At this point we don’t have any specific information that we can share. We’re taking it day by day, things are rapidly changing,” she said.

Avard said while the coronavirus pandemic may have changed some ways in which the league and team will function, they will still be able to play their full schedule. “We are playing our full schedule, 21 home [games] and 21 away [games],” she said. “We will still start playing at the start of June until the end of July. The first two weeks of August will be playoffs as normal.”

Avard said the team is still seeking host families to house players while they’re in the area for the summer season. She said to host a player was a “great experience.”

“You can take in as many players as you would like throughout the entire season, and get to come to the games for free,” she said. Those interested in hosting players can contact Avard by emailing her at kate.avard@valleybluesox.com or by visiting the team’s website at http://valleybluesox.pointstreaksites.com/view/valleybluesox/community/host-familes.

Avard said more information regarding safety protocols when visiting MacKenzie Stadium would be released and posted on both the Valley Blue Sox website (http://valleybluesox.pointstreaksites.com/view/valleybluesox) and on the Valley Blue Sox Facebook Page. Additionally, tickets for the season’s games are available for purchase online.