Squeeze intern thrived in double life as FWL pitcher

WINTER GARDEN On its own, an internship with a Florida Collegiate Summer League team or playing in the Futures Wood-bat League can make for a busy summer.

One involves plenty of late nights at the ballpark, working as an intern in a broadcast, journalism or operations capacity, while the other is about showing up to the ballpark during hot summer afternoons to try and improve your craft.

Doing both together, at the same time, could arguably border on insane — but, somehow, Casey Wright made it work.

Wright, the broadcast intern for the Winter Garden Squeeze, has been the play-by-play announcer for each of the team’s games this summer. 

In addition, the sophomore on the Rollins J.V. baseball team also pitched for the FWL’s Winter Park Freedom.

“There were some games where I would pitch seven innings (during the day), and then I’d leave right after that and have to come straight to the field,” said the Long Island native. “It’s a lot on the body, but I liked it because it kept me busy all summer — playing and broadcasting the game.”

Wright, who graduated from Lake Mary Prep before heading to Rollins, compiled a 3.38 ERA on the season. 

The aspiring sports-media personality saved his best for last, though, pitching a complete game in the FWL Championship to lead his team to a 3-2 victory July 29 against DeLand. It was his first complete-game outing in nine-inning competition.

“What a time to do that,” Wright said with a smile.

Wright also does a sports talk show on local radio — “Just a Man & Sports” airs from 10 a.m. to noon each week on 91.5 WPRK. As someone who wants to find any role he can in sports broadcasting out of college, the Squeeze internship was right up his alley.

As a player for the J.V. team at Rollins, Wright is less driven by the idea of stardom as a big leaguer than he is just happy to be continuing his playing career — something with which the FWL has helped.

“I love the Futures’ League, because for me, it’s just to get better,” Wright said. “All these kids are the same ages as me and they’re all trying to get better.”

Pitching games by day and calling them by night might seem to be a tall order, but Wright said if he has his way, it’ll be an experience he will duplicate.

“Next year I’m hopefully planning to do the same thing,” Wright said.

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].