SANFORD — It’s all over but the shouting.
The seeding for the Postseason that is.
The weather last week had denied the Sanford River Rats (25-2) the chance to officially clinch the Regular Season Championship and the top seed (home field advantage) for the Postseason Playoffs, but the nasty storms on Monday cleared out in time for the locals to get in their game with the Leesburg Lightning and the Rats prevailed, 6-3, to claim the Regular Season title.
The other finishing positions were still up for grabs as of Tuesday night as the 2-time defending champion Lightning (18-12) held a 1-and-a-1/2-game lead over the Orlando Snappers (16-13) in the battle for home field advantage in the Semifinals and the Winter Garden Squeeze (11-17) held just a 1/2-game lead for fourth place over the DeLand Suns (11-18).
The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs (6-25) will miss the playoffs.
The higher finishing team between the Suns and Squeeze will host the Play-In Game next Monday with the winner advancing to the Semifinals to face the River Rats.
The higher finishing team between the Lightning and Snappers will host the first game of the Best-of-3 Semifinals.
The Semifinal winners will square off in a Best-of-3 Championship Series, beginning at the home of the highest remaining seed.
Here are the standings (thru games of July 15):
1. Sanford River Rats, 25-2; 2. Leesburg Lightning, 18-12, 8.5 games behind; 3. Orlando Snappers, 16-13, 10 games behind; 4. Winter Garden Squeeze, 11–17, 14.5 games behind; 5. DeLand Suns, 11-18, 15 games behind; 6. Winter Park Diamond Dawgs, 6-25, 21 games behind.
The FCSL also announced its fifth Pitcher and Player of the Week this past Monday.
Here is the Press Release from the FCSL’s Adrian Delgado (UCF):
Throughout the 2025 season, the Florida Collegiate Summer League will honor two players at the conclusion of each week, an FCSL Player of the Week and an FCSL Pitcher of the Week. This week's honors represent performances from Monday, June 30, through Sunday, July 6. The weekly honors are selected via a vote of league coaches and officials.
The Sanford River Rats did not get many chances to play this past week, but FCSL Player of the Week Dawson Mock took advantage of them. The third-year Florida Leaguer logged six hits in eight at-bats across Sanford's three games, all wins. The outfielder ended the week with hits in five straight at-bats, going 3-for-3 on Thursday against Winter Garden and going 2-for-2 against Winter Park on Sunday evening.
Mock, who is hitting .397 on the season and ranks third in the Florida League in batting average, is closing in on some major league history. Mock has stolen 31 bases this season, putting him just four away from the FCSL record for stolen bases in a season - a record that has stood since 2007, when eventual MLB Draft selection Steven Irvine stole 35 bases for the Altamonte Springs Snappers.
The newest Florida League Pitcher of the Week hails from the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs, righthander Reilly Kuhar (Florida Tech). Kuhar got the ball on Monday against the Orlando Snappers and shut down a potent lineup, tossing six innings without allowing an earned run. Kuhar walked just one batter while striking out four, and the longest outing of the season for a Winter Park pitcher led the Dawgs to a 4-1 home win over the Snappers.
An All-Star selection, Kuhar has shown excellent control across his 10 appearances this summer, walking just nine batters in 28.1 innings of work. The Florida Tech commit, who also tossed one scoreless inning against the Sanford River Rats on Sunday, has 23 strikeouts.
Additionally, the Florida League will honor one player from each team that was not selected as Player or Pitcher of the Week.
Florida League Honor Roll (Hitters) _ Gavin Thomas (DeLand/Davidson), Charlie Keller (Leesburg/Ball State), Mathew Farner (Orlando/Undecided), Mason Mojica (Winter Garden/Polk State), Ben Barrow (Winter Park/James Madison).
Florida League Honor Roll (Pitchers) _ Waz Rollings (DeLand/Undecided), Gunnar Plante (Leesburg/Undecided), Austin Waring (Sanford/Florida Atlantic), Joey Wittig (Orlando/Louisiana Tech), Jacob Iverson (Winter Garden/Emory & Henry).
Results:
Thursday, July 3 _ River Rats 2, Squeeze 0, second game rained out; Lightning at Suns, rain; Diamond Dawgs at Snappers, rain.
Friday, July 4 _ Suns at Lightning, rain.
Saturday, July 5 _ River Rats at Squeeze, rain; Snappers 4, Suns 2; Lightning 10, Diamond Dawgs 3.
Sunday, July 6 _ Snappers at Suns, rain; River Rats 5, Diamond Dawgs 2; Squeeze 8, Lightning 2.
Monday, July 7 _ All-Star Break.
Tuesday, July 8 _ East All-Stars 6, West All-Stars 6.
Wednesday, July 9 _ All-Star Break.
Thursday, July 10 _ Diamond Dawgs 5, Lightning 0; River Rats 8, Snappers 0; Squeeze 6, Susan 4.
Friday, July 11 _ Lightning 8, Diamond Dawgs 0; River Rats vs. Snappers, rain; Sun vs. Squeeze, rain.
Saturday, July 12 _ Snappers vs. River Rats, rain; Lightning 7, Diamond Dawgs 1; Suns 9, Squeeze.
Sunday, July 13 _ Squeeze vs. River Rats, doubleheader, rain; Lightning 5, Suns 3.
Monday, July 14 _ Squeeze 4, Snappers 1; River Rats 6, Lightning 3; Suns 8, Diamond Dawgs 0.
Tuesday, July 15 _ River Rats 14, Snappers 8, second game rained out; Squeeze vs. Suns, doubleheader, rain; Diamond Dawgs vs. Lightning, rain.
Here is the upcoming schedule:
Wednesday, July 16
Squeeze vs. Suns, doubleheader, Melching Field at Conrad Park, 4:30 p.m. & 7 p.m.; Lightning vs. River Rats, Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, 6:30 p.m.; Diamond Dawgs vs. Snappers, Orel Hershiser Field at The First Academy-Orlando, 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 17
Diamond Dawgs vs. Squeeze, Horizon High School, 6:30 p.m.; Suns vs. River Rats, Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, 6:30 p.m.; Lightning vs. Snappers, Orel Hershiser Field at The First Academy-Orlando, 7 p.m.
Friday, July 18
Squeeze vs. Diamond Dawgs, Rollins College/Alfond Stadium, 6 p.m.; Suns vs. River Rats, Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, 6:30 p.m.; Lightning vs. Snappers, Orel Hershiser Field at The First Academy-Orlando, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 19
Squeeze vs. Diamond Dawgs, Rollins College/Alfond Stadium, 6 p.m.; Snappers vs. Lightning, Buddy Lowe Field at Pat Thomas Stadium, 7 p.m.; River Rats vs. Suns, Melching Field at Conrad Park, 7 p.m.
PLAYOFFS
Play-In Game:
Monday, July 21
No. 5 seed at No. 4 seed (DeLand and Winter Garden), 7 p.m.
Semifinals
Best-of-3
Tuesday, July 22
Play-In winner vs. River Rats, Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, 6:30 p.m.; No. 3 seed at No. 2 seed (Orlando and Leesburg), 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 23
River Rats at Play-In winner, 7 p.m.; No. 2 seed at No. 3 seed, 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 24
If Necessary
Play-In winner vs. River Rats, Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, 6:30 p.m.; No. 3 seed at No. 2 seed, 7 p.m.
In other FCSL News:
* Games streamed LIVE on Varsity Sports Nation PPV _ All Florida League games will once again be streamed live and archived for replays on Varsity Sports Nation PPV this season. For information about how to access this content go to _ https://varsitysportsnationppv.lightcast.com/.
* Buy single game tickets to your team's home games. Prices are $10 for Adults and $5 for Seniors (60+), Kids (age 7-12) and Military w/ID.
* Thirsty Thursdays _ Join the Sanford River Rats for $3 Thirsty Thursdays at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium! Presented by Budweiser and Wayne Densch of Sanford.
Go to _ www.floridaleague.com _ for more information.
