Podcast: College baseball season preview with Jordy Allard

Former Northeastern pitcher Jordy Allard helped preview the college season with Dan Guttenplan. (Jim Pierce/Northeastern Athletics)

The Base Path Podcast’s college baseball preview includes a discussion with former Northeastern pitcher Jordy Allard, who concluded his career as a player last spring.

Allard lived the ultimate New England baseball experience, starting as a Woodstock, Vt., native who earned 2017 Gatorade High School Player of the Year as a senior. He started his college career at SNHU in 2018, before transferring to Babson College. There, he earned 2021 D3 New England Pitcher of the Year while finishing his undergraduate degree.

In 2022, Allard transferred to Northeastern, where his best season came in 2022, when he posted a 2.16 ERA over 50 innings. His final season last spring was interrupted by injury.

Allard’s summer collegiate baseball experience includes three seasons in the NECBL with the Upper Valley Nighthawks. In the summer of 2022, he played in the Cape League for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, earning the league’s Top New England Prospect Award.

Through his experience in the transfer portal and playing against New England colleges at all three levels — D1, D2 and D3 — Allard has a unique perspective on the upcoming season. He expects Northeastern to continue to ascend under coach Mike Glavine.

“Guys just want to play for Coach Glavine,” Allard said. “One of the biggest things I noticed when I came in was the culture that he tries to create. We struggled a bit my first year at Northeastern, and he took on a little bit more to instill the culture a little deeper. My second year at Northeastern, we had a team book. He would have team get-togethers to give us space to build our chemistry.

“What people don’t necessarily see is he’s creating a place and environment for us to thrive and grow as a team and family rather than just baseball players. We’re growing deeper connections, and that really helps us on the field.”

Allard also opined on one of the biggest changes to the college baseball landscape heading into this season — the coaching change at BC with Todd Interdonato replacing Mike Gambino. Allard believes the new BC coach can take advantage of a recruiting advantage in the Northeast.

“I think it’s easier to recruit New England guys,” Allard said. “It’s not as spread out. Everyone’s going to be at one showcase. Down in the southern states, it’s more spread out. The transition (for Interdonato) will be it’s a different way of life and a different speed of things up here. But BC already has a reputation. So to be able to go up and tell a kid about BC, and tell him it’s the only ACC school in New England, that’s another easy sell.”

Listen to the entire podcast with Jordy Allard.

The New England Baseball Journal podcast is brought to you by the University of Nebraska High School.

For advertising opportunities, please contact advertising@seamansmedia.com.