Florida Collegiate Summer League

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2023 Florida League Schedule Released

May 30, 2023
12:22 AM EDT

FLORIDA LEAGUE COMPOSITE SCHEDULE
WINTER PARK DAWGS SCHEDULE
LEESBURG LIGHTNING SCHEDULE
SANFORD RATS SCHEDULE
ORLANDO SNAPPERS SCHEDULE
WINTER GARDEN SQUEEZE SCHEDULE
DELAND SUNS SCHEDULE

LAKE MARY, FLa.- The 2023 Florida League season is now less than two weeks away, and preparations from the league office are in full swing. With that in mind, the Florida Collegiate Summer League is pleased to unveil the 2023 schedule.

HOME FIELDS

Three home fields will remain the same as the 2022 season. As always, the Sanford River Rats will call Sanford Memorial Stadium, home to the league's Opening Night and annual All-Star Game. The Leesburg Lightning will return to the intimidating confines of Pat Thomas Stadium, while the Winter Garden Squeeze will call Olympia High School home for the first time in league history.

The DeLand Suns will head back to their normal home of Melching Field, returning after a one-year absence due to renovations to the home of the Stetson University Hatters. Lake Highland Prep will once again play home to Florida League baseball, with the newly-renamed Orlando Scorpions moving to the shores of Lake Highland. Finally, the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs make their long-awaited return to Alfond Stadium in Winter Park, the team's original home. It will mark the first FCSL game played on the Rollins College campus since the summer of 2015.

ON THE ROAD

The Florida League will hit the road twice during the 2023 season, including a league first. In the final week of June, the League will take its top prospects to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia for the annual NACSB Prospect Games. Eight members of the National Association of College Summer Baseball will take part, with the FCSL currently scheduled to take on the Valley and Southern Leagues.

The following week will see a League All-Star team participate in one of baseball's hottest spectacles. The Florida League will serve as the opponent for the Savannah Bananas on July 7 and 8 at Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah. The games will be played under "BananaBall" rules.

DATES TO WATCH

June 1- Orlando at Sanford
Sanford Memorial Stadium

As tradition dictates, the Florida League season begins in Sanford. This year, the honor of playing on Opening Night goes to head coach Terry Abbott, coach of last season's champions, and his new team, the Orlando Snappers. Opening Night will also mark the first game for the newly-rebranded Snappers, as well as the first game for new (and former) Sanford head coach Kevin Davidson.

June 2- Sanford at Orlando
Lake Highland Prep

A rematch from Opening Night will also be night one at home for the Snappers, who move from Sanford to Lake Highland Prep. Two of the three current FCSL coaches with a championship - Abbott and Davidson - play game two of a three-game series.

June 2- Winter Park at Leesburg
Pat Thomas Stadium

The Florida League's last two champions battle it out in Leesburg's home opener. A rematch of the Championship Series from both 2021 and 2022, the Lightning will welcome head coach Jim Newlin and the Diamond Dawgs to Pat Thomas Stadium for their first taste of the Florida League's most rabid fans.

June 2- Winter Garden at DeLand
Melching Field

The Palace of DeLand is open again. The newly-renovated Melching Field welcomes Florida League baseball back for the first time since 2021. DeLand's Opening Night will also mark the debut of Matt Swiderski in the home dugout.

June 3- Leesburg at Winter Park
Alfond Stadium

The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs finally return to their ancestral home of Alfond Stadium, on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park. The defending Florida League champions' home opener is the finale of a two-game series with their recent playoff rivals from Leesburg.

June 3- DeLand at Winter Garden
Olympia High School

Olympia high school will be the new home for the Winter Garden Squeeze, one of just two Florida League franchises without a championship. Head coach Mike McDaniel of Winter Garden opens their home slate as the finale of their series against DeLand.

June 26-28 - NACSB Prospect Games
Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia

Some of the top professional prospects in the Florida League will head north to compete against players from other summer collegiate leagues nationwide. The three-day event will currently see the Florida Leaguers battle prospects from the Valley Baseball League and the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.

July 3- Winter Garden at DeLand
Melching Field

The centerpiece of DeLand's home schedule comes the day before Independence Day, when the Suns host the Squeeze. Fans will be invited to stay at Melching Field postgame to take in DeLand's annual fireworks show, launched from nearby Earl Brown Park.

July 4- Winter Park at Leesburg
Pat Thomas Stadium

"The Pat" on the fourth of July is a sight to behold. Capacity-plus crowds are often seen in Leesburg, as the Lightning and Dawgs battle before the city of Leesburg's extravagant Independence Day fireworks spectacular. This is a must-see for baseball fans in central Florida.

July 7-8 - Florida League at Savannah Bananas
Historic Grayson Stadium; Savannah, Georgia

It's time for "BananaBall." The Florida League will be the opponent for the viral antics and baseball stylings of the Savannah Bananas. Playing under "BananaBall" rules, the Florida League will travel as a "Challenger" opponent for two games against the Bananas at their home field, Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah.

July 13- Florida League All-Star Game
Sanford Memorial Stadium

The Florida League's best take the field in Sanford for the League's annual Midsummer Classic. A prospect workout and the Home Run Derby will proceed the event, with first pitch between the East and the West set for 7 pm.

July 24-27- Florida League Playoffs

The 2023 postseason starts as the number four seed hosts the number five seed in a Play-In Game. The winner advances to the FCSL Semifinals to face the regular season pennant winner, while the second and third seeds battle in the other semifinal.

July 29-31- Florida League Championship Series
For the last two years, Winter Park and Leesburg have met for the Florida League title. Will we have a third straight meeting? Will Sanford or DeLand recapture former glory? Or will Orlando or Winter Garden be in position for their first titles? We find out beginning July 29. And remember, four of the five Florida League Championship Series have gone to game three - make sure July 31 is open on your calendar!

Categories:
DeLand Suns
Florida League
Leesburg Lightning
Seminole County Snappers
Seminole County Snappers
Winter Garden Squeeze
Winter Park Diamond Dawgs