FSCL baseball season is back in Winter Park

It’s baseball time again as the Florida Collegiate Summer League heads to the plate next week to start the summer season.

What’s the FCSL? It’s a special league of major league prospects who could be on an MLB club soon if history is any judge. MLB clubs have drafted close to 250 players from the FCSL, with nine so far making it to the major league level.

“We’re excited about the 11th season,” league president Rob Sitz said. “It’s affordable entertainment for the whole family and top notch talent on the field.”

The league brings some family fun aspects not seen in other leagues, including mid-inning kids games on the field with a race around the bases, dizzy bat competitions and other sideshow attractions. With $3 beer and $2 hotdogs at Winter Park’s ballpark, it’s a deal the whole family can afford. Sweetening the deal they’re offering two-for-one deals, $1 beer nights and burger and hotdog deals all season. For the family, the Family Friday deal gets four tickets, four hotdogs, four bags of chips and four soft drinks for $20.

Winter Park has one of the two longest-lived clubs in FCSL history, celebrating their 11th season on the diamond, only matched by longtime rival the Sanford River Rats. You can meet the Dawgs at noon on June 1 at Alfond Stadium on Orange Avenue in Winter Park.

Last season the Dawgs finished at the top of the league with a 27-13 record and went on to win the championship in the postseason. Can they do it again? It all starts next week.

The Dawgs will take on the Rats three times in the first three days of the season, playing at Sanford Memorial Stadium in the season opener 7 p.m. June 3, then 7 p.m. June 4 at Alfond Stadium on Orange Avenue in Winter Park, then back to Sanford at 7 p.m. June 5. The Dawgs return home to face the College Park Freedom at 7 p.m. June 6 at Alfond Stadium, then again at 1 p.m. June 8.