Boonville, NY: When fans of summer collegiate baseball in Boonville, New York enter Robert Smith Sports Complex in 2023, they’ll be cheering on a new team; the Boonville Lumberjacks.
Previously known as the Boonville Baseball Club, the team will now have a new name and a new owner, as industry veteran Butch Russo has become the new proprietor of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) team.
Russo will utilize his thirteen years of summer collegiate baseball experience as he embarks on a new, exciting chapter for the City of Boonville. Russo previously owned and operated the Utica Brewers (now the Utica Blue Sox) in the PGCBL for over a decade and was one of the PGCBL’s founding members, as he brought the team into the league when it was formed in 2009. Russo sold the team in 2019 but has recently been eager to get back into summer collegiate baseball.
“It’s exciting to be back doing something I loved for so many years,” said Russo. “I can’t wait to bring an exciting new brand of baseball to the Boonville community.”
Russo won’t be the only one with experience in Boonville, as he recently hired his former Assistant General Manager in Utica, Pete Faughnan, to become Boonville’s new General Manager. Russo and Faughnan previously worked together for four years in Utica.
The new operators will begin their venture with a fresh start, renaming the team and rebranding with a new logo.
“We felt it was important to start fresh and come up with a new, exciting logo and nickname that pays homage to the local community,” explained Russo.
The local community support of summer collegiate baseball was integral in Russo’s desire to pursue operating a team in Boonville.
“The community support has been unbelievable and the local Board of Directors have been extremely helpful,” said Russo. “From the new clubhouse just to built to the talk and excitement around town, we can’t wait for the inaugural season of Lumberjacks baseball.”