LYNCHBURG, Va.- The Florida League Prospect Team put on a show Monday and Tuesday, as the Florida League won both of their games in the 2022 Southeast Collegiate Prospect Showcase. The Florida League set a new Showcase record with 24 runs over two games, winning 11-3 over the Sunbelt BasebalL League Monday night and 13-1 over the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League Tuesday morning. 

The event, which also included the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, was the ninth Southeast Collegiate Prospect Showcase, and was held for the first time on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. The two games not featuring the FCSL saw the Hamptons League beat the Southern League, 10-5, and the Southern beat the Sunbelt League, 7-4, leaving the Florida League as the lone unbeaten team in the event.

In the Florida League's first game against the Sunbelt League, the FCSL scored runs in four of the first five innings, jumping out to a 10-1 lead. RBI singles by Jeff Liquori (Sanford/Florida Southern) and Gary Lora (Sanford/Southeastern) gave Florida a 2-0 lead in the first, and Liquori added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run homer that scored Dale Thomas (Winter Park/Florida), who had singled.

Nelson Taylor (Seminole County/Polk State) added Florida's fifth run with a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, before Florida added five runs in their biggest inning of the night, the bottom of the fifth. Thomas drove in Michael Ballard (Winter Park/Eckerd) for the first run of the frame, then scored on a wild pitch. Fletcher Cline (Seminole County/UNF) added an RBI single, and Taylor concluded the scoring in the inning with a two-run double.

Liquori finished off a 4-for-4 with four RBI performance in the bottom of the eighth, driving in the last of the Florida League's eleven runs with an RBI single to right field that plated Ballard to secure an 11-3 final score.

On the mound, the FLorida League used seven pitchers, five of which worked scoreless frame. Tyson Hardin (Seminole County/Mississippi State) pitched the first two innings and earned the win, while perfect innings were worked by Jack Williams (Sanford/New Orleans) and Andrew Lewis (Seminole County/East Mississippi). Dylan Dieguez (Seminole County/Bethune-Cookman) and Jacob Stretch (Winter Park/Frostburg State) also added scoreless frames in the win.

Game two was scoreless for the first four innings before Florida plated six runs in the top of the fifth. Brooks Rikeman (Sanford) drew Florida's third walk of the inning with the bases loaded to put the FCSL on the board, and Jeissy De La Cruz (Winter Park/New Orleans) added an RBI single. The next three batters all drove in runs as well, consisting of an RBI groundout from Travis Sankovich (Winter Garden/Marshall), a single from Thomas, and a two-run double from Liquori.

Leading 6-1, one swing of the bat put the game away in the top of the seventh. Florida loaded the bases on three straight walks, bringing Liquori to the plate. The Florida Southern Moc moved his Showcase RBI total to ten with a mammoth grand slam, which also gave him six RBIs on the day.

The Florida League added three more runs for good measure in the ninth, with the scoring starting on an RBI single from Brandon Fields (Sanford/State College of Florida). Lora added an RBI single to make it 12-1, and Aidan Duda (Winter Park/Frostburg State) concluded the scoring by drawing a walk with the bases loaded.

Once again, seven pitchers took the mound for Florida, and six left the mound without allowing a run. Louis Davenport (Winter Garden/Marshall) pitched the fourth and the fifth innings to earn the win, while Zaylen Perry (Sanford/UAB) was the lone pitcher from either team to work a 1-2-3 inning. Scoreless frames were also worked by Chase Costello (Sanford/St. Thomas), Caleb Pundsack (Seminole County/USF), Justin Gay (Leesburg/Pasco-Hernando), and Connor Gleeson (Leesburg/Gardner-Webb).

This year's Florida League Prospect Showcase returns to the Sunshine State with two wins, as well as the opportunity to play in front of numerous college coaches and professional scouts. Florida League action resumes Wednesday night with a full slate of three games.