LAKE MARY — Throughout the 2024 season, the Florida Collegiate Summer League has honored 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, July 15, through Saturday, July 20. The weekly honors are selected via a vote of league coaches and officials.
For the second time this season, the FCSL Player of the Week is Leesburg's Michael Furry (Rollins). The third-year Lightning outfield was almost impossible to retire in the final three Lightning games of the season, reaching base in 10 of his 12 plate appearances. The Orlando native went 7-for-9 (.777), scoring seven runs and driving in seven more as Leesburg clinched the top seed.
Furry had a career night in Leesburg's 9-1 win over Orlando on Thursday, going 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs. Furry drove in seven of the Lightning's nine runs in the win, tying a franchise record for runs batted in in one game. Furry enters the playoffs on an 11-game hitting streak, a streak that includes every game the outfielder has played for Leesburg in the month of July.
The final FCSL Pitcher of the Week is Orlando's Lucas Hartman. In his final start of the regular season, Hartman shut down a high-powered Winter Garden lineup for six innings on Wednesday, scattering three hits and striking out five hitters. Hartman provided six major innings for the Snappers, who eventually clinched the FCSL's final playoff spot.
Hartman has been one of the best pitchers in the Florida League this season, never allowing more than two runs in any of his four appearances. Opposing hitters have just a .200 batting average against him, and the Bradenton native has logged 26 strikeouts in 22.2 innings, all while posting a 1.98 earned run average.
Additionally, the Florida League honors one player from each team that was not selected as Player or Pitcher of the Week.
Florida League Honor Roll (Hitters) _ Judson Ceyanes (DeLand/Kaskaskia), Cam Williamson (Sanford/Lake Sumter State), Jax Yoxtheimer (Orlando/UAB), Ben Maskin (Winter Garden/Undecided), Isaac Nunez (Winter Park/Southeastern).
Florida League Honor Roll (Pitchers) _ Joel Core (DeLand/Bethune-Cookman), Robert Tracy (Leesburg/Florida Southern), Corey Peters (Sanford/Lake Sumter State), Corey Battey (Winter Garden/Prairie View A&M), Zackary Wilson (Winter Park/Chowan).
Leesburg wins Regular Season Title; Sanford wins Play-In Game
The defending Champion Leesburg Lightning and Winter Garden Squeeze both did what they needed to do during a weather-plagued final week of the Regular Season to earn the top two seeds in this week’s Playoffs.
Leesburg knocked off the DeLand Suns once and Orlando Snappers twice, to edge Winter Garden, who went 4-0 with a win over the Snappers and a 3-game sweep of the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs, by percentage points for the No. 1 seed. The Lightning also held a 4-3 advantage over the Squeeze in head-to-head games this season.
The final day of the Regular Season on Saturday looked to be quite possibly the best in FCSL history as Leesburg held a half-game lead over Winter Garden and a win by other team or a loss by either team would decide the Regular Season winner. But the Lightning held the lead, barely, when they got rained out.
The same situation existed in DeLand, as the Suns held a half-game lead over the Sanford River Rats as they were to battle on the last day with the winner earning the No. 3 seed and avoiding Monday’s Play-In Game. But once again, weather forced cancellation of the game, giving DeLand the No. 3 seed.
On Monday in Sanford, the River Rats overcame a 5-1 fourth inning deficit, capped by a 3-run sixth inning, to eliminate the Snappers, 9-6.
Sanford was to have traveled to Leesburg and DeLand to Winter Garden on Tuesday, to begin Best-of-3 Semifinal Series.
The championship games will start July 27 (Saturday) and go till July 29 (Monday). Keep in mind Friday, July 26, is a makeup day if needed for the semifinals, and July 30 & 31 are makeup days for the championship games!
You don't want to miss playoffs or the championship game, so buy your tickets today!
Final Regular Season Standings:
1. (tie) * Leesburg Lightning, 20-11, and Winter Garden Squeeze, 21-12; 3. DeLand Suns, 16-15 (4.0 games behind); 4. Sanford River Rats, 15-16 (5.0 games behind); 5. Orlando Snappers, 12-19 (8.0 games behind); 6. Winter Park Diamond Dawgs, 12-23 (10.0 games behind).
* _ Lightning are No. 1 seed by percentage points and beating Squeeze, 4-3, in head-to-head games this season.
Results:
Monday, July 15
Diamond Dawgs vs. Snappers, Rain; Lightning vs. Suns, Rain; River Rats vs. Squeeze, Rain.
Tuesday, July 16
Squeeze vs. River Rats, Rain; Lightning 7, Suns 3; Diamond Dawgs 9, Snappers 2.
Wednesday, July 17
Lightning vs. River Rats, Rain; Squeeze 4, Snappers 3, 10-innings.
Thursday, July 18
River Rats 6, Suns 2; Squeeze 10, Diamond Dawgs 0, 5-innings; Lightning 9, Snappers 1.
Friday, July 19
Suns 14, River Rats 6; Squeeze 6, Diamond Dawgs 3; Lightning 9, Snappers 0, 7-innings.
Saturday, July 20
Squeeze 11, Diamond Dawgs 9; Snappers vs. Lightning, Rain; River Rats vs. Suns, Rain.
POSTSEASON
Play-In Game
Monday, July 22
No. 4 River Rats 9, No. 5 Snappers 6.
Semifinals (Best-of-3)
Tuesday, July 23
No. 4 River Rats 7, No. 1 Lightning 2, Sanford leads 1-0.
No. 3 Suns vs. No. 2 Squeeze, Rain.
Upcoming Schedule:
Wednesday, July 24
No. 1 Lightning vs. No. 4 River Rats, Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, 6:30 p.m.
No. 3 Suns vs. No. 2 Squeeze, West Orange High School, 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 25
(If Necessary, both teams with one loss)
No. 4 River Rats vs. No. 1 Lightning, Buddy Lowe Field at Pat Thomas Stadium, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Squeeze vs. No. 3 Suns, Melching Field at Conrad Park, 7 p.m.
Friday, July 26
No. 3 Suns vs. No. 2 Squeeze, West Orange High School, 7 p.m.
Championship (Best-of-3)
Saturday, July 27
Game 1 at higher seed, TBA, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 28
Game 2 at lower seed, TBA, 7 p.m.
Monday, July 29
(If Necessary, both teams with one loss)
Game 3 at higher seed, TBA, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 30
Make-Up Day, TBA.
Wednesday, July 31
Make-Up Day, TBA.
In other FCSL News:
* Games streamed LIVE on FLOSPORTS _ All Florida League games will once again be streamed live and archived for replays on FLOSPORTS this season. For information about how to access this content go to _ https://www.flobaseball.tv/collections/tag/fcsl/event?view=live-and-upcoming&utm_campaign=fcsl&utm_medium=partner&utm_source=floridaleague.com%2Fview%2Ffcsl&utm_content=website&rtid=&coverage_id= _ for FLOSPORTS content.
Go to _ www.floridaleague.com _ for more information.
