Tabbed as one of the top summer collegiate baseball leagues in the country the SFCBL will begin its 9th season of play Friday May 31st with most games beginning between 630-7PM. Locations of games vary from Palm Beach Gardens down to Ft. Lauderdale with most sites being in Palm Beach County and the central hub being Delray Beach.
The wood bat summer league serves as an opportunity for the best amateur college baseball players to develop in a competitive environment while getting exposure from Major League scouts. The results are there; in the last 5 seasons alone, the league has produced 118 MLB draft picks, 13 of which have been called up to the Major Leagues.
“It’s truly an honor to be hosting some of the best amateur baseball players in the country here in the SFCBL. The league and Palm Beach County have become one of the most nationally recognized destinations for collegiate players during the summer time,” said SFCBL Commissioner Vince Farfaglia. Major universities such as Florida State, the University of Florida, Auburn University and the University of Miami annually send their players to the SFCBL to compete in the summer time.
Besides the benefits that the players receive by playing in the league, local cities and Palm Beach County are reaping in the tourism benefits that the league provides in the slower time of the year (summer). Last year the SFCBL produced almost 3000 room nights and about $2,000,000 in direct visitor spending for the county. In 2018 the SFCBL hosted over 300 players from 33 different U.S. states and 5 countries making it the largest summer collegiate league in the Southeast U.S.A. A trend that the league has seen is players from out of state universities transferring to schools in South Florida based on their experiences during the summer time.
“The South Florida Collegiate Baseball League creates a valuable tourism impact to The Palm Beaches”, said George Linley, Executive Director for the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. “These collegiate athletes and their travel from across the nation to compete in this league occupy hotels and seasonal rentals for a multiple month time frame.”
Many players currently in professional baseball credit their time in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League as pivotal point in their careers including Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Marcus Crescentini who played for the Delray Beach Lightning. “My two years developing and being seen while playing for the Lightning in the SFCBL helped shape my career. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have the exposure and coaching I received,” said Crescentini.
Opening night for the SFCBL will be held on Friday night May 31st at Little Fenway in Delray Beach which is a replica field of Fenway Park in Boston. All games are free of charge with opportunities to win prizes on field and fans can enjoy the excellent competition in the shaded bleachers. You never know you could be watching a future major leaguer right here in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League.
About the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League: The 10 team South Florida Collegiate Baseball League is a wood bat summer collegiate baseball league based in the heart of South Florida which gives amateur players an opportunity to showcase themselves in hopes of reaching the professional ranks. Players have an opportunity to develop their skills at a high level of play and be evaluated by scouts. Teams play a 40-game regular season schedule with games beginning in June and ending in the last week in July. All games are 9 innings, with most doubleheaders scheduled on the weekends. The All-Star game is played in mid July, and the League Championship Series concludes in the first week of August.
For more information, please contact Vince Farfaglia at 561-707-9049 or by email at vince@southfloridacollegiateleague.com.
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