- April 24, 2024
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Things have been a bit different for this year’s edition of the Florida Collegiate Summer League.
Thanks to COVID-19, the league started later than usual — the first regular-season game was June 29 — and restrictions were put into place to help keep players and staff safe.
It’s been a time of great change. But if you ask members of the Winter Garden Squeeze, it’s not anything too extraordinary, said Bryce Hubbart — a Windermere High alumnus and pitcher for the Florida State University baseball team.
“I wouldn’t say it’s much different,” Hubbart said. “We have to wear masks, and a lot of pitchers aren’t allowed to be in the dugout, but some of the bullpen guys bring tents — they literally bring a tent covering — so we can watch the games from inside the tent, and it’s pretty fun. At this point now, it’s one of those things where we have been so used to it the last six months. … I get it, but at the end of the day we’re fine, so it’s been normal.”
Teammate Lucas Dunn, a utility player and member of the University of Louisville baseball team, feels the same way about life in the “bubble.”
“Things have gone really smoothly,” said Dunn, who so far this season has been the team’s biggest offensive threat. “They’ve communicated really well, and I think the coaches and the players have followed the rules really well.”
Although life has been generally good, it hasn’t been without its challenges.
With many pitchers not playing a real game in months, the FCSL decided to place a pitch-limit count on athletes, which has been met with a frustrated understanding.
“I understand why it’s put into place — and it’s put into place for an extremely good reason,” Hubbart said. “My last start, I would have liked to throw more than 40 pitches. If you go out there and throw two scoreless innings, you’re kind of like, ‘I want to go back and throw the next one,’ but you can’t, because there is a pitch-limit count. That kind of aspect is frustrating.”
Luckily for Hubbart, over the next couple of weeks, the pitch count will go up and allow for more work on the mound.
Head Coach Terry Abbott said getting pitchers through the early pitch limit has been a challenge, but he isn’t worried about his guys.
“We’re gradually working into shape the pitchers — of course, that’s with all the teams in the league,” Abbott said. “As the pitchers on all the teams start to get into better shape and they expand the pitch counts, I think you’ll get a better picture of where everyone is.”
Besides the pitch limit, the biggest obstacle has been the ever-present hot, stormy weather brought on by summertime in Florida. The Squeeze have played seven games total but had back-to-back games suspended and another canceled due to storms.
“The one thing that is a little frustrating is with these lightning delays and you have to go to the car — that’s valuable team bonding time,” Dunn said. “It takes your motivation, but you kind of have to find it within yourself to keep pushing. It’s kind of out of our control, so you just take what you’re given and it’s how you respond to it.”
Not only is it frustrating to deal with, but also it is eating into precious time, which the league and its players say they don’t have.
“When you drive an hour to a field, you play three outs and then go sit in the car for an hour and then get in the car and drive back home, and then you have to play the next morning at 11 o’clock — it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do,” Abbott said with a laugh. “Eventually it’ll work itself out.”
To go along with the wet weather, heat has been an issue for some, as temperatures have floated in the mid-90s for a while. But despite the ongoing challenges, however, the team continues forward with its new — and unconventional — season.
“It’s been an awesome experience — it’s exactly what I wanted out of my summer ball this year,” Dunn said. “The competition has been super good and I’m playing pretty well ... and I think it has definitely exceeded my expectations so far.”
