Florida League Championship Series Preview
LAKE MARY, Fla.- The Florida League's dominant franchise of the 2020s against the red-hot upstart on the big stage for the first time.
The 2023 Florida League Championship Series will feature the top-seeded Leesburg Lightning and the third-seeded Winter Garden Squeeze, as both swept their FCSL Semifinals earlier this week. Winter Garden knocked off second-seeded Sanford, while the Lightning earned two straight wins over fourth-seeded Winter Park.
For Leesburg, the trip to the FLCS marks the franchise's fourth straight Championship Series appearance. The Lightning won the Whiting Cup in 2021, sandwiched between runner-up efforts in 2020 and 2022. The 2023 Florida League Championship Series will be the tenth involving the Lightning, with Leesburg claiming titles in 2007, 2009, and 2021.
On the other hand, Winter Garden is making their first trip to the Florida League's biggest stage. The Squeeze got to the league semifinals in 2014, 2017, and 2020, but never made the Championship Series until finishing off their sweep of Sanford at Olympia High Wednesday morning.
Since the beginning of the Florida League Championship Series in 2018, the team that has won game one has gone on to win the series four times, with the 2021 Lightning being the lone exception. The series is slated to begin Saturday night at Pat Thomas Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Game two of the series is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon, and will mark the first Championship Series game played at Olympia High School. Game twos have featured dramatic games over the years, including walk-off wins in 2019 (by the DeLand Suns) and 2022 (by Leesburg).
Should the series be tied after two games, the Whiting Cup would go to the winner of Game 3, which would be back at Pat Thomas Stadium Monday night. Four of the five Florida League Championship Series have gone to a third game, with the home team winning all four.
All three games will be broadcast on FloBaseball, with Games Two and Three being FloBaseball's Game of the Week and available for free on FloBaseball's social media accounts. Broadcasters Christian Rapoza and Carter Mansfield will have the call for each game of the series.
