A Two-Week Check-In with the Leesburg Storm
By, Zack Smolen
Record Through July 12: 5-4-1
Position in the Standings: Fifth Place (2 GB)
Key Victories: 6/29 vs. DeLand (10-5)
7/7 @ Lightning (3-2)
7/10 @ River Rats (3-2)
While the other team in town may be at the top of the standings, fans of the Leesburg Storm have to love what they’ve seen from their expansion squad in the early going. They started their franchise off on the right foot by downing the DeLand Suns 10-5 in their first-ever contest, and established an identity quickly by swiping a league-leading 28 bases. Even though they are above .500, this team has still played below its potential thus far, and can really start turning heads around the league once they start firing on all cylinders. Here are a few things that have worked for the Storm and some insight into what they might grow into during the next couple of weeks.
Okay, before we even get going, can you please explain to me how on Earth this BASEBALL team has a TIE on its record?!?!
I’d be happy to! So as you know, the league opted to cut the length of the games down to seven innings through the first two weeks or so in order to ease the players in after the long layoff between seasons. This also prompted an adjustment to the extra inning rules, whereas if teams are tied after the completion of an eighth inning, a tie is awarded to both clubs. However, as the home team, the Storm were trailing 2-1 against the Snappers during the top of the eighth when a long weather delay ensued, rendering a completion that day undoable. Due to the impracticality of making up just a handful of outs -- especially given the amount of rain the league received in the first two weeks -- it was decided that the game be reverted to the score at the end of the seventh inning out of fairness and presto a tie was born!
Whew, well now that’s all clear, tell me why those wins at the top were so important.
Well for starters, every win in a 27-game season is worth its weight in gold, but the three above marked significant momentum shifts for the team, including a pair of milestones. The 10-5 win against DeLand on Opening Day showed the Florida League that this team means business and aren’t going to be a stereotypical, pushover expansion squad. Against the Lightning, the Storm made a statement to the city of Leesburg that there are indeed TWO teams at Pat Thomas and that this will be a legitimate rivalry as they not only won, but came back from down 2-0 to spoil the Lightning’s undefeated start to the year. And finally, the Rats game just showed this group’s mental toughness. The team had to travel to Sanford early in the morning after being beat-down 11-2 the night before, and instead of just mailing it in against a then first place Rats team, the Storm jumped out early and used their great pitching and defense to earn a signature win.
Can you give me a few players who have really showed their stuff so far?
Sure thing! To the surprise of no one, catcher Tanner Clark has been the rock of the team’s offense and a leader on the diamond. “He leads by example, manager Rich Billings said of his veteran backstop, “he never talks about how good he is…he just goes out and gives the guys a great example of what a college baseball player is supposed to look like, and he does it with the highest level of professionalism. We’re really lucky to have Tanner.” The lineup also features Nick Collins (Polk State) who is tied for second in the league with a pair of home runs, and Jeff Mejia whose .522 average and 12 hits are fourth and second in the rankings respectively.
Additionally, the team’s pitching staff features two of the best arms in the entire Florida League. Carson Pillsbury (Santa Fe) has set the scene on fire in his first taste of collegiate baseball action, earning Pitcher of the Week honors and leading the league with three wins. Zach Henderson (Daytona State) has been equally impressive as a bullpen ace, appearing in a league-high seven games while amassing a superb 2.03 ERA in 13.1 innings, the latter figure being an amount that also leads the FCSL.
So those are the current stars, but who seems right on the cusp of really breaking out within the next week or so?
As Caleb Stallings (Santa Fe) told me on Saturday, “A storm’s brewing,” and he’s absolutely right as I believe that this team is right on the edge of really breaking out, and when they do they’ll be a matchup nightmare for anyone. If we’re talking individual players though, Alex Freeland (UCF) and Dominick Madonna (UNF) are a pair of names that quickly come to mind.
While Freeland does share the team lead with seven RBI, he’s hitting just .259 and has yet to register an extra-base hit thus far. The good news is that he has been seeing the ball really well, walking a team-leading eight times, which has resulted in an impressive .481 SecA (secondary average) which measures the amount of extra bases a player accrues for his team, taking walks and stolen bases into account. Given those figures he’s knocking on the door of posting numbers that are more traditionally associated with success at the dish.
As for Madonna, his ERA may currently sit at 11.25, but that hardly tells the story of his season. That number is grossly inflated by the tough 2.1 innings he threw in his first two outings that saw him surrender nine runs on as many hits. Since then he’s allowed just one run and three hits across his last 5.2 frames, including an outing where he quieted the league’s best offense with three scoreless innings against the River Rats. I believe that the Dominick we’ll see over the rest of the season will be far closer to what we’ve experienced in his most recent performances.
What will be the toughest test for this team over the next two weeks?
The Storm have an absolute gauntlet to close out the third week of the season. From July 16-18 Leesburg will take on the league’s top three teams in order, with games at home against the Lightning, on the road versus the River Rats and at home again against the Scorpions. Those teams are a combined 17-6 through July 12th for a .739 winning percentage, which is just about the most difficult three game stretch possible in the FCSL. That trio of contests will be very telling as to whether or not this team should be considered among the best the league has to offer.
Sounds good! Can I still watch and listen to the games in the same places?
Yes, you can! To watch, simply subscribe to FloSports for high quality video streaming online. You can also listen to the audio broadcast for free through Meridix at Floridaleague.com
Additionally, be sure to follow the Storm on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well to stay up to date with all the action from your favorite team!
*All stats are through July 12