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SANFORD, Fla.- The stars were out in Sanford on Thursday night, as the Florida Collegiate Summer League's best participated in the 2023 FCSL All-Star Game at Sanford Memorial Stadium. More than 40 of the top performers in the League gathered in Sanford for All-Star festivities, which began in the afternoon with a scout showcase.

The evening began with the League's annual Home Run Derby, which saw 12 of the FCSL's best sluggers battle to earn the crown of Derby champion. Winter Park's Timo Aracena (Embry-Riddle) and Winter Garden's John Smith III (Pensacola State) got through to the final round, and Aracena led off the final round with one home run. 

Smith then claimed the crown in emphatic fashion, clearing the wall on his first two swings of the championship round. Smith gave Winter Garden the Derby crown for the second straight year, joining 2022 standout Noah Dickerson as Derby winners.

The All-Star Game itself got underway with a Michael Ballard (Louisiana Tech) double, but Mother Nature interfered and sent the game into a weather delay. Once the game resumed, the contest was shortened into a seven-inning affair. 

Shortly after resumption, the West All-Stars (consisting of Leesburg, Winter Park, and Winter Garden) opened the scoring. Gabriel Santiago (Coker) led off the inning with a walk, and moved around to third on a grounder and a stolen base. Todd Clay (Pensacola State) got the West on the board, driving in Santiago via a sacrifice fly to right field.

The West's 1-0 lead held until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the West added their second and final run, thanks to back-to-back doubles. With one out, Leesburg teammates Tyler Gerteisen (North Florida) and Drew Stubbs (Webber International) hit a pair of two-baggers, with Stubbs' shot driving in Gerteisen.

The East, a team made up of players from DeLand, Orlando, and Sanford, wouldn't go quietly, starting to rally in the top of the sixth. Jeff Liquori (Undecided) singled with one out, and moved up to third on a walk to Edgar Alvarez (Nicholls State) and a stolen base. With two outs, Sanford's Stewart Puckett (South Florida) came up with a clutch hit, a single to score Liquori for the East's first run.

Down to their final three outs, the East found a way to even the score in the seventh and final inning. Brayden Woodburn (Tampa), who reached base three times to earn All-Star Game MVP honors, walked with one out. Ballard moved up Woodburn up to second on a grounder. 

With just one out to play with, Connor Hujsak (Mississippi State) drove in his Sanford teammate to even the score at two. Orlando's Victor Diaz (Seminole State) retired three of the four hitters he faced in the bottom of the seventh, ending the 2023 FCSL All-Star Game in a tie.

One of the most competitive regular seasons in Florida League history continues on Saturday, as the final eight days of the season begin. All six teams enter the home stretch with their playoff hopes very much alive, with home-field advantage very much up for grabs as well.