Leesburg Lightning to open 2016 season on the road against Sanford

[mk_page_section][vc_column][mk_image src=”https://ae3f97.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/56df5cbbe8b4a.image_.jpg” image_size=”full” link=”http://www.dailycommercial.com/news/article_fe48bb29-dae9-5b8b-8b63-1a93d8e2c3d8.html” target=”_blank” align=”center”][/vc_column][/mk_page_section][mk_page_section][vc_column border_color=”#969696″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]LEESBURG LIGHTNING 2016

Home Schedule

(all games start at 7 p.m., unless otherwise indicated)

June 3 — vs. Sanford

June 6 — vs. DeLand

June 8 — vs. DeLand

June 9 — vs. Winter Garden

June 11 — vs. Winter Garden

June 14 — vs. Altamonte Springs

June 15 — vs. Sanford

June 16 — vs. Winter Park

June 21 — vs. DeLand

June 24 — vs. Sanford

June 25 — vs. U.S. Military All Stars (6:30 p.m.)

June 27 — vs. Winter Garden

July 1 — vs. Altamonte Springs

July 2 — vs. Winter Garden

July 4 — vs. Winter Park (6 p.m.)

July 6 — vs. Altamonte Springs

July 11 — vs. Winter Park

July 12 — vs. Winter Park

July 13 — vs. DeLand

July 19 — vs. Winter Garden

July 22 — vs. Sanford

July 25 — vs. Winter Park

July 29 — vs. Altamonte Springs

July 31 — vs. DeLand (5 p.m.)

Aug. 7 — FCSL Championship Game, at Tropicana Field

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Posted: Tuesday, March 8, 2016 3:30 pm        Frank Jolley frank.jolley@dailycommercial.com

The Leesburg Lightning will open their 10th season in the Florida Collegiate Summer League on the road against Sanford in a rematch of last year’s championship game. FCSL officials released the schedule for the upcoming season, which includes 46 regular-season games — 45 league contests and an exhibition game against the U.S. Military All Stars — with the FCSL title set to be decided on Aug. 7 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

Leesburg’s home opener is June 3 against Sanford at Pat Thomas Stadium-Buddy Lowe Field. As has been the case throughout the franchise’s history, admission is free for all Lightning home games.

The schedule will consist primarily of three-game series against the other five teams in the FCSL. After the Lightning open the regular season with Sanford on the road and host the River Rats the following night, Leesburg will wrap up the series with Sanford at 7 p.m. on June 4 at Sanford Memorial Stadium.

Leesburg will play 11 home games in June — 10 regular-season games and its exhibition against the U.S. Military All Stars on June 25 — and will play 12 home games in July. The Lightning’s longest home stretch will be three games, which they will do three times — from June 14-16 against Altamonte Springs, Sanford and Winter Park, July 1-4 against Altamonte Springs, Winter Garden and Winter Park, and July 11-13 against Winter Park and DeLand.

The Lightning’s traditional July 4 home game — the team’s largest crowd of the season — will be against Winter Park.

For the first time, the FCSL will play its annual All-Star game on Saturday. This year’s contest will be July 9 at Sanford Memorial Stadium.

In addition, the league will participate in the fourth annual Southeastern Prospect Showcase, with players from the FCSL playing against the Sunbelt Baseball League and Southern Collegiate League. The two-game series will begin on July 16 in Atlanta.

The Lightning will close out the regular season at 5 p.m. on July 31 against DeLand at Pat Thomas Stadium-Buddy Lowe Field.

The FCSL playoffs will begin on Aug. 2 with a play-In game between the fourth- and fifth-place teams and two best-of-3 series to determine the finalists will begin on Aug. 3. The FCSL title game, with the winner receiving the Whiting Cup, will be played followed the Tampa Bay Rays-Minnesota Twins contest on Aug. 7.

This year’s FCSL lineup of teams consists of: Leesburg, Sanford, Winter Park, Winter Garden, DeLand and Altamonte Springs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/mk_page_section]