Squeeze, W.G. Little League to host clinic

The event will take place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Jan. 24, at the Winter Garden Little League Complex, 119 S. Park Ave. Open to players ages 7 through 16, the one-day clinic is free to players who are currently registered with Winter Garden Little League for the 2015 season.

Registration for the event can be completed by sending an email with the parents’ names, child’s name and birthdate to 2015wgll.com, although Squeeze General Manager Adam Bates said they likely will accept walk-up participants who are registered with WGLL.

Lake Sumter baseball coach Josh Holt will be bringing some of his players to the event and speaking with the kids, and several players from the West Orange varsity program will volunteer, as well. Mike Albaladejo, a former star for West Orange and Florida Atlantic who has played baseball professionally in the minor leagues and the Atlantic League, also will help mentor the young players, who will enjoy 30-minute sessions focusing on hitting, pitching, base-running and more.

The collaboration could be the beginning of more things to come between the Little League and the Squeeze, a franchise in the Florida Collegiate Summer League that will play its second season this summer.

“(The partnership with WGLL) is one of our top partnerships,” Bates said. “It all starts with the kids. … We want those kids and those families in the stands (for Squeeze games this summer).”

Blue 42 Sports Grill and Kona Ice will provide on-site food vending, and Winter Garden Squeeze gear will be available for purchase at a heavily discounted rate, according to Bates.