Dawgs come out swinging

Winter Park’s top-level baseball team is at the top of the league after a big 3-0 start on the Florida Collegiate Summer League season last weekend.

With a roster stacked with potential major-leaguers, the 2010 FCSL regular season champion Diamond Dawgs made a name for itself early, hammering in 26 runs in just three games.

The Dawgs jumped all over the Sanford River Rats in the season opener on June 2, scoring five runs in the first four innings and then cruising to an easy win. Five different batters for the Dawgs picked up an RBI each. Meanwhile the Dawgs’ Jeremy Strawn struck out eight batters in just five innings from the mound, giving up only three hits.

After battering Orlando at home, the Dawgs took their show on the road and did it again, blowing them out 13-3 on June 5.

Most of the lineup had a double in that game, including two for Todd Hankins and two for Tyler Rocklein in the wild slugfest.

Starter Brad Renner struck out four batters in three innings, giving up just two hits in his start.

And after the first three games of the season, the Dawgs, who played another Tuesday night at press time, had most of the batting leader board locked up. Michael Danner was hitting .667 through game three, with eight hits and two RBIs. B.J. Zimmerman was right behind him, with five hits on eight at bats.

The Dawgs played two games at press time, but return to the field in Sanford for a rematch against the River Rats at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

The Rats have been the Dawgs’ continuing rival throughout the league’s eight seasons of existence. Last season, the two battled it out to a near tie at the top of the league. But the Rats are struggling so far this year, with a 1-2 record heading into the start of this week.