Squeeze hoping to build momentum coming out of break

Seven members of the Winter Garden Squeeze were named to the “South” team for the Florida Collegiate Summer League’s annual All-Star Game and helped to lead it to a 7-1 victory over the "North" team.

The contest took place at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium.

The Squeeze (3-19) sent pitchers Ian Doughty (New Mexico J.C.) and Mason Fryman (Shelton State); infielders Shawn Feltner, Luis Rivas-Lastra (Vernon Regional J.C.) and Bryant Miranda (Coppin State); and outfielders Chaz Boyer (New Orleans) and Cody Burgess (Polk State) to compete alongside teammates from the Altamonte Springs Boom and Winter Park Diamond Dawgs. Miranda and Feltner were starters.

The North team comprised players from the Sanford River Rats, Leesburg Lightning and DeLand Suns.

Rivas-Lastra had an RBI and Miranda scored twice, offensively, while Doughty and Fryman each pitched for an inning.

The All-Star Game also provides a three-day break for teams around the league, with play scheduled to resume on Thursday. For the Squeeze, the break is an important time for players to refocus. Winter Garden ended its losing streak on June 28 with a win over Altamonte and won again on July 1, 4-1, against Leesburg. 

Since then, though, the Squeeze has stumbled again with three consecutive losses. First-year head coach Eddie Taubensee feels optimistic coming out of the break, though, that the last-place club will be able to gain ground in the second half on Winter Park (8-12), which is in fifth place. The top five teams advance to the playoffs.

“The attitude (from the team) is so much better — this is not the same team we started off with at the beginning of the year,” Taubensee said. “I’ve finally got a handle on what our team is and what it could be. I was handed this team a few days before opening day; I didn’t know any of these guys or have any college contacts. … It took a while to get to that spot, but we’re here and it has been a great learning experience.”

The Squeeze will return to action July 9 at Sanford and return home to Heller Bros. Ballpark July 10, also against the River Rats. Winter Garden has 19 games remaining on the schedule in addition to any makeup games for contests that have been postponed because of weather.