SANFORD — The Florida League's best put on a show Tuesday night under beautiful, but hot, conditions at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, and the result was one that has become the norm in the Florida League - dead even at the end of the night.
For the third year in a row, the Florida Collegiate Summer League All-Star Game ended in a tie, with the 2025 edition finishing after nine innings with six runs each from the East and West All-Stars.
The East All-Stars, made up of players from Sanford, DeLand and Orlando, were: Brady Wright (Sanford/Santa Fe), Anthony Saleeba (Sanford/Seminole State), Grant Comeaux (Orlando/Undecided), Mathew Farner (Orlando/Undecided), Braden Calise (Sanford/UCF), Stewart Puckett (Sanford/South Alabama), Dawson Mock (Sanford/Undecided), Blake Fields (Orlando/Miami Dade), Gavin Thomas (DeLand/Davidson), Daniel Spicher (Sanford/Tallahassee State), Michael O'Brien (DeLand/Kaskaskia CC), Trey Clinton (Sanford/Georgia SouthWestern), Paul Janeczko (DeLand/Undecided), Joey Wittig (Orlando/Louisiana Tech), Billy Batson (Orlando/Rollins), Brady Appel (Sanford/Tallahassee State), Ryland Happel (Orlando/Lake Sumter State), Jonny Sosnowski (Sanford/Lake Sumter State), Stephen Cherepanya (DeLand/Rollins), William Rollings (DeLand/Florida Tech), Kaiden Lopez (Sanford/College of Central Florida), Ryland Bozenhard (Sanford/South Alabama), Hayden Gustavson (Orlando/Louisiana Tech), Dawson Harman (Sanford/South Carolina), Mario Trivella (Orlando/State College of Florida), Rashad Robinson (Orlando/West Alabama), Xavier Lopez (Sanford/Rollins), Jax Carter (Orlando/Rollins), Osmin Melendez (DeLand/Undecided), Hutson Guinn (Orlando/Undecided) and Daniel Irizarry (Orlando/Undecided).
Making up the West All-Stars, which came from Leesburg, Winter Park and Winter Garden, were: Andrew Furey (Winter Garden/Florida Southern), Drew Pynes (Winter Garden/St. Petersburg), Gabe Young (Winter Park/West Georgia), Ledger Pleasant (Leesburg/St. Johns River State), Roberto Odor (Winter Park/Saint Leo), Alex Espaillat (Winter Park/Alabama State), Michael Graziano (Winter Park/Mercer), Marco Mueses (Leesburg/New Orleans), Julian Irizarry (Leesburg/Pittsburgh), Sean Stafford (Winter Garden/Folsom Lake), Charles Keller (Leesburg/Ball State), Knute Rockey (Winter Park/Embry-Riddle), Isaac Sewell (Winter Garden/Arkansas State), Jose Paniagua (Leesburg/College of Central Florida), Blake Tipmore (Leesburg/Rollins), Jacob Iverson (Winter Garden/Emory & Henry), Reilly Kuhar (Winter Park/Thomas), Blayke Rabens (Winter Garden/Northwest Florida State), Antonio Socarras (Leesburg/Pittsburgh), Liam Furey (Winter Garden/West Florida), Carter Daniel (Winter Garden/Union), Cole Bullen (Leesburg/Florida), Reid Snider (Leesburg/Louisiana Tech), Zach Walker (Winter Garden/Hillsborough CC), Ethan Barrett (Leesburg/Wallace CC), Joe Belflower (Winter Park/Illinois Tech), Joel Collado (Winter Park/Rhode Island), Dominic Donatucci (Winter Garden/State College of Florida), James Strom (Leesburg/Southeastern), Eli Thurmond (Leesburg/Florida Southern) and Nico Banez (Winter Garden/Dartmouth).
The West struck in the top of the first inning when Young (Winter Park) drew a one-out walk, moved up to second on a fielder's choice and scored on a Pynes (Winter Garden) single to left field, sliding in just ahead of the tag at the plate.
The East would even the game in the fourth when Spicher (Sanford) doubled, moved to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on a Puckett (Sanford) sacrifice fly to left.
The East would take its first lead in the fifth when Comeaux (Orlando) was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a Saleeba (Sanford) walk, and scored on a two-out single to center by Farner (Orlando).
The West quickly tied the game in the top of the sixth, loading the bases on two walks and a hit batsmen before Odor (Winter Park), who had walked, scored on an one out, RBI single by Bullen (Leesburg).
The East, on the strength of one big swing, looked like they might put the win away in the sixth when Fields (Orlando) reached on an error and Puckett (Sanford) singled ahead of a 3-run home run blast to right field by Robinson (Orlando).
But the West would answer right back in the top of the seventh with a four-spot to regain the lead. Walker (Winter Garden) launched a home run, which was followed by singles from the Leesburg trio of Snider, Irizarry and Pleasant (which scored a run), a sacrifice fly from Young (Winter Park) that tied the game and Stafford (Winter Garden) would reach on a dropped third strike that allowed Pleasant to score the go-ahead run.
The 6-5 lead would hold to the bottom of the ninth, when Robinson (Orlando), who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, would start the inning with a single, steal second and advance to third on an error before scoring the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Saleeba (Sanford).
Prior to the All-Star contest the annual Home Run Derby, made up of 12 competitors (two from each team), was held and it was Sanford's Mock edging Orlando's Farner, 1-0, in the final round.
Mock, a third-year Florida Leaguer, had launched nine home runs in the first round to reach the Championship showdown. Also in the field were Puckett and Orlando’s Trivella as well as Winter Park’s Espaillat and Young, Leesburg’s Mueses and Socarras, Winter Garden’s Pynes and Walker, and DeLand’s Gavin Thomas and Shane Thomas.
