The Mystic Schooners, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, have a new summer home.

Mystic will play home games at Norwich's Dodd Stadium this summer, sharing the former minor league baseball park with the Norwich Sea Unicorns of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

The Schooner played their home games at Fitch High School in Groton the previous 11 seasons.

"People at Dodd Stadium are excited for us to get up there," Mystic co-owner and pitching coach Dennis Long said. "The one thing that we've lacked is a big-time facility. We got everything else from host families to coaching to food vendors. We've got everything covered, but we're short on our facilities.

"We're excited about it."

Dodd Stadium represents a significant upgrade from the Shipyard, their nickname for the Fitch complex.

"After 11 highly satisfying years at Fitch High School, we move on to a new era of Mystic Schooner baseball," Mystic manager Phil Orbe said. "I am immensely proud of what we've accomplished since 2012 and look forward to the new heights this change of venue will take us."

The move could give the Schooners a much-needed boost in attendance.

While they're one of the most successful franchises in the NECBL, they've struggled to build a fan base.

Their new home should help them on that front as well as be another selling point to players.

"Dodd Stadium is a superb facility," Orbe said. "From the professionally cared for field to the professional dugouts to the locker room and indoor hitting facility, this move will certainly enhance the playing experience for our upper echelon college players. The fan experience will also be enhanced by the variety of concessions, horseshoe seating and authentic atmosphere.

"The Schooners are extremely fortunate to call Dodd Stadium home."

The NECBL and Future League regular seasons begin around the same time — late May to early June — and run until the first week of August.

The Sea Unicorns will hold their 2022 season home opener on May 30 while the Schooners will play for the first time at Dodd on June 7.

Some days, both teams will play at home, one starting at noon and the other at 6:30 p.m.

"We're going to learn as we go but we're here to make it work for both teams," Long said. "It's going to be a new look. We know it's out of line with what the (NECBL) has had with mostly night games, but we're going to give it a try. It will be fun."

Mystic went 23-19-1 last season and extended the NECBL's longest active streak of playoff appearances to eight straight years.

Norwich finished its inaugural season with a 27-40 record, drawing an average of 808 fans.

Leaving Fitch will be bittersweet for Long.

The Schooners had a great run and appreciated their partnership with Fitch and Groton officials.

"They've been more than generous with the field and partnership that we 've had with them from day one," Long said. "Personally, I'm going to miss nights at the Shipyard. It's a no-brainer as a coach. You want to get on the best field that you can.

"It's a little bit bittersweet. In the long run, it will be a good thing for baseball in Eastern Connecticut. I'm proud of the tradition we have here. I don't want to see Dodd Stadium go quiet. We're hoping that Dodd Stadium is the biggest marketing tool we can have both for us and the Sea Unicorns. It's for the community."

g.keefe@theday.com