Sanford River Rats
Encyclopedia
The Sanford River Rats are a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league team located in Sanford, Florida
. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League
(FCSL) and plays its home games at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium
. The team is an inaugural member of the FCSL.
and was the runner-up in the following 2005 season
. After that, the team went into a bit of a slide, finishing fifth in 2006, fifth in 2007, and sixth in 2008.
In 2009, the Rats finished with a 23-17 record, good enough for a 2nd place finish. On offense, they tied for the league lead in home runs (19) and led the league with a whopping 93 stolen bases. Jordan Yost led the team with a league high 7 HR and 35 RBI. On the defensive side, the Rats led the league in team ERA (3.50) and fielding percentage (.962). Pitcher Bryan Brown tied for the league lead in wins (5) and was 2nd in strikeouts with 52. The #2 seed Rats lost in a three game series to the Belleview Bulldogs in the playoffs that year.
2010 brought on a change in regime as Davey Johnson
was hired to be the head coach. His professional demeanor took a very talented Rats roster to a 28-13 record, good for 2nd place in the league. On offense, they finished first in the league in triples, walks and steals. College teammates Kelvin Clark (.333 avg, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 31 runs) and Tyler Benzel (.321 avg, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 32 runs), both from Florida Southern University, led the team at the plate. The pitching staff led the league in WHIP (1.32), opponent average (.232) and ERA (3.44). Starting pitcher Jeremy Strawn led the team in wins (4), innings pitched (46.1), and ERA (1.75). The season ended in disappointment however, as the Leesburg Lightning swept the Rats in the semi-finals of the playoffs two games to zero.
After Johnson took the manager position with the Washington Nationals
, the Rats turned to Steve Piercefield to lead them in the 2011 season. The regular season was a roller coaster of good play and poor effort. Entering the last week of the season, the Rats were in last place in the standings. After finishing 5-2 in the last week of the season, they earned the 4th seed with a 16-22 record. Offensively, they were led by University of South Florida
teammates Alex Mendez (.326 avg, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 28 runs) and James Ramsay (.326 avg, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 13 runs). In the play-in game of the playoffs, the Rats defeated the Orlando Freedom 12-2. This put them into a three game series vs. the #1 seed Leesburg Lightning
. After losing game 1 by a score of 2-1, the Rats were able to score two runs in the bottom of the 11th with 2 outs to take game 2 by a score of 4-3. They went on to win game 3 in Leesburg by a score of 9-2. This put them in the championship game vs. the #2 seed Winter Park Diamond Dawgs
. After giving up four runs in the first inning, the Rats were able to put together an incredible comeback, winning the game 7-5. James Ramsay was named the championship game MVP. On October 10, 2011 the city of Sanford presented the River Rats with the key to the city and proclaimed that day to be "Sanford River Rats Day".
Sanford, Florida
Sanford is a city in, and the county seat of, Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 38,291 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 50,998...
. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League
Florida Collegiate Summer League
The Florida Collegiate Summer League is a six-team wood bat collegiate summer baseball league located in the central Florida region of the southeastern United States. The league was founded in the fall of 2003 and began play in the summer of 2004...
(FCSL) and plays its home games at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium
Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium
Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Sanford, Florida. The ballpark is located just south of Lake Monroe on Mellonville Avenue, less than a mile from Historic Downtown Sanford. The stadium stands at the site of the old Sanford Field, which was originally built in 1926...
. The team is an inaugural member of the FCSL.
History
The River Rats were one of the inaugural teams of the FCSL. The team won the FCSL championship in the league's inaugural 2004 season2004 FCSL season
The 2004 FCSL season was the inaugural season of the Florida Collegiate Summer League, a collegiate summer baseball league operating in the southeastern United States region of central Florida...
and was the runner-up in the following 2005 season
2005 FCSL season
The 2005 FCSL season was the second season in the history of the Florida Collegiate Summer League, a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league operating in the southeastern United States region of central Florida...
. After that, the team went into a bit of a slide, finishing fifth in 2006, fifth in 2007, and sixth in 2008.
In 2009, the Rats finished with a 23-17 record, good enough for a 2nd place finish. On offense, they tied for the league lead in home runs (19) and led the league with a whopping 93 stolen bases. Jordan Yost led the team with a league high 7 HR and 35 RBI. On the defensive side, the Rats led the league in team ERA (3.50) and fielding percentage (.962). Pitcher Bryan Brown tied for the league lead in wins (5) and was 2nd in strikeouts with 52. The #2 seed Rats lost in a three game series to the Belleview Bulldogs in the playoffs that year.
2010 brought on a change in regime as Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
was hired to be the head coach. His professional demeanor took a very talented Rats roster to a 28-13 record, good for 2nd place in the league. On offense, they finished first in the league in triples, walks and steals. College teammates Kelvin Clark (.333 avg, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 31 runs) and Tyler Benzel (.321 avg, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 32 runs), both from Florida Southern University, led the team at the plate. The pitching staff led the league in WHIP (1.32), opponent average (.232) and ERA (3.44). Starting pitcher Jeremy Strawn led the team in wins (4), innings pitched (46.1), and ERA (1.75). The season ended in disappointment however, as the Leesburg Lightning swept the Rats in the semi-finals of the playoffs two games to zero.
After Johnson took the manager position with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, the Rats turned to Steve Piercefield to lead them in the 2011 season. The regular season was a roller coaster of good play and poor effort. Entering the last week of the season, the Rats were in last place in the standings. After finishing 5-2 in the last week of the season, they earned the 4th seed with a 16-22 record. Offensively, they were led by University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
teammates Alex Mendez (.326 avg, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 28 runs) and James Ramsay (.326 avg, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 13 runs). In the play-in game of the playoffs, the Rats defeated the Orlando Freedom 12-2. This put them into a three game series vs. the #1 seed Leesburg Lightning
Leesburg Lightning
The Leesburg Lightning are a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league team located in Leesburg, Florida. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League and plays its home games at Pat Thomas Stadium. The team joined the FCSL in the 2007 season.-History:The Lightning joined the...
. After losing game 1 by a score of 2-1, the Rats were able to score two runs in the bottom of the 11th with 2 outs to take game 2 by a score of 4-3. They went on to win game 3 in Leesburg by a score of 9-2. This put them in the championship game vs. the #2 seed Winter Park Diamond Dawgs
Winter Park Diamond Dawgs
The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs are a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league team located in Winter Park, Florida. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League and plays its home games at Alfond Stadium...
. After giving up four runs in the first inning, the Rats were able to put together an incredible comeback, winning the game 7-5. James Ramsay was named the championship game MVP. On October 10, 2011 the city of Sanford presented the River Rats with the key to the city and proclaimed that day to be "Sanford River Rats Day".
Playoff Appearances
| Year | First round | Semifinals (best-of-3) | FCSL championship game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 FCSL season The 2004 FCSL season was the inaugural season of the Florida Collegiate Summer League, a collegiate summer baseball league operating in the southeastern United States region of central Florida... |
Double-Elimination | W (4-0), W (5-3) | Daytona Beach Barracudas | W (10-0) | |||
| 2005 2005 FCSL season The 2005 FCSL season was the second season in the history of the Florida Collegiate Summer League, a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league operating in the southeastern United States region of central Florida... |
Double-Elimination | W (5-3), L (8-1), W(3-2) | Zephyrhills Snappers | L (1-2) | |||
| 2006 2006 FCSL season The 2006 FCSL season was the third season in the history of the Florida Collegiate Summer League, a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league operating in the southeastern United States region of central Florida. The league's Winter Haven, Florida franchise, the Winter Haven Warthogs, moved to... |
Double-Elimination | W (6-0), L (1-5), L (2-4) | |||||
| 2008 | Leesburg Lightning Leesburg Lightning The Leesburg Lightning are a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league team located in Leesburg, Florida. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League and plays its home games at Pat Thomas Stadium. The team joined the FCSL in the 2007 season.-History:The Lightning joined the... |
L (1-3) | |||||
| 2009 | Belleview Bulldogs | (0-2) | |||||
| 2010 | Leesburg Lightning Leesburg Lightning The Leesburg Lightning are a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league team located in Leesburg, Florida. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League and plays its home games at Pat Thomas Stadium. The team joined the FCSL in the 2007 season.-History:The Lightning joined the... |
L (3-0) L (9-8) | |||||
| 2011 | Orlando Freedom | W (12-2) | Leesburg Lightning Leesburg Lightning The Leesburg Lightning are a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league team located in Leesburg, Florida. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League and plays its home games at Pat Thomas Stadium. The team joined the FCSL in the 2007 season.-History:The Lightning joined the... |
L (2-1) W (4-3) W (9-2) | Winter Park Diamond Dawgs Winter Park Diamond Dawgs The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs are a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league team located in Winter Park, Florida. The team is a member of the Florida Collegiate Summer League and plays its home games at Alfond Stadium... |
W (7-5) |