Lakehawk Baseball’s Rich Billings Takes Leesburg Lightning to Back-To-Back FCSL Titles
This is the Lightning’s third championship under Head Coach Rich Billings
DELAND, Fla. (Baseball) – The Florida Collegiate Summer League (FCSL) wrapped the summer of 2024 season in Deland, Fla. Sunday night as the Leesburg Lightning, led by Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) head coach Rich Billings, clinched their second straight FCSL title over the DeLand Suns. This title marks the fifth in program history and the third with Coach Billings at the helm.
The Lightning entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season with a 20-11 record. They defeated the Sanford River Rats in a thrilling three-game Semifinal Series to advance to the Championship Series.
The Lightning faced the DeLand Suns in the Championship Series over the weekend. In a best-of-three series, the Lightning took two from the Suns without a need for a third game securing back-to-back FCSL titles and their third in the last five seasons.
Several Lakehawk alumni joined Coach Billings on the Lightning this summer.
Ryan Jenkins, former shortstop for the Lakehawks (2024), quickly became a fan favorite within Pat Thomas Stadium's walls.
For the summer, Jenkins hit .299 with an on-base percentage of .483, and a slugging percentage of .356. In 87 at bats, he had 26 hits with two doubles, one homerun, 10 RBIs, and 20 runs scored.
After one year at Lake-Sumter, Jenkins will transfer to Carson-Newman in the fall to continue playing collegiate baseball at the NCAA level.
Robert Tracy (LSSC Baseball, 2023-2024) joined the Lightning's pitching staff in the second half the of the season.
Tracy posted a 1-0 record on the mound. With 10.0 innings pitched, he recorded 11 strikeouts while holding the opposing batting average to a .270.
Tracy is set to transfer to Florida Southern in the fall to also continue playing collegiate baseball at the NCAA level.
Right-handed pitcher Evan Loeser (LSSC Baseball, 2021-2022), now at North Greenville University, also played in influential part in the Lightning's success in the Champ Series.
Loeser tossed three shutout innings in game one against the Suns with five strikeouts helping the team secure a one-win lead in the series headed into Sunday.
Coach Billings will begin his 15th year as the head coach of the Lakehawks this fall.
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