Through the end of the Florida Collegiate Summer League’s regular-season play, the Winter Garden Squeeze held a 17-17 record, becoming the host for its playoff series against the Sanford River Rats.
Although the Squeeze had the home-field advantage for the first game of the series Tuesday, July 21, the River Rats were finding their stride at the right time. Sanford took the first game 14-1 and continued the momentum for the game Wednesday, July 22, winning 3-2 and ending the Squeeze’s summer session.
“(Sanford) had really good pitching, and we kind of knew that coming into it,” head coach Steven Crabtree said. “They had some guys who had really been playing well the last week and a half, so they hit that hot streak at the right time. We went out there and competed the best that we could and just fell short to a team that’s feeling good about themselves.”
Although closing the 2026 season 17-19, No. 3 in the league and not attending the championship game isn’t the ending for which the Squeeze had hoped, Crabtree was focused on the two-month transformation the roster saw together.
SLOW START TO CONFIDENT FINISH
Through the early weeks of the season, the Squeeze went 2-8 before finding a rhythm, stringing together a dominant stretch during the mid-season.
The turnaround, Crabtree said, wasn’t the result of one adjustment.
Rather, it was a cultivation of the players becoming more comfortable with one another, settling into their roles and learning how the coaching staff wanted them to approach each game. Pitching also was a key role in the stretch and gave the offense more opportunities to build steady momentum.
“You always play better when you’re pitching better,” he said.
Throughout the entire season, Crabtree and assistant coach Dewon Brazelton emphasized players remain focused on the current moment rather than the bigger picture.
“We really just tried to focus on being in the current moment,” Crabtree said. “If we’re eliminating freebies, winning each pitch and focusing on where our feet are at
the moment, good things wind up coming from that.”
He compared the mentality to one attributed to basketball legend Michael Jordan. Jordan refused to dwell on his previous mistakes or future outcomes, which is one of the reasons he turned into one of the greatest to ever play.
“It’s not an easy thing to do,” Crabtree said. “But success comes from that.”
Approaching every game and inning in that fashion became even more important with the high demand of the FCSL’s schedule. The Squeeze schedule included five or more games per week, compared to the college season’s one weekday game and weekend series.
Crabtree said summer ball is more of a grind. Whether the Squeeze won or lost the game, they were playing again tomorrow — leaving no time to dwell on losses or celebrate victories.
They learned to reset every day, but in the moments together after their season closed, Crabtree reminded the players how proud he was of them.
“I was very proud of the effort that we had and the performance and how much I saw them grow over these last two months,” he said.
MORE THAN RUNS
The season reunited Crabtree with four former players he had coached at Lake Minneola High School: Fabian Antisanti, Colson May, Brady Montral and Jacob Calley.
After watching them develop from high school athletes into collegiate players, he cherished the opportunity to coach them one more time.
“You never feel like that time is long enough,” he said. “So to get another chance at it and see how those guys flourish was special.”
The whole Squeeze roster that left a special mark on Crabtree. Wins and losses never have been the main measure of success for him, rather positively influencing every player who came through the dugout.
“As a coach, you’re really just hoping to make some kind of positive impact on the guys — whether it be something baseball-related or something non-baseball related,” he said.
Crabtree was focused on being a good example and demonstrating what success and care looks like. He wanted the players to see how preparation, accountability and genuine care not only could shape their careers but also their lives.
But as a coach, it’s never clear if the lessons carry over and truly resonate within the players’ minds, unless they directly reach out.
“I’ve had some guys text me and tell me how much they appreciated me and learned from me,” Crabtree said. “Those are the text messages that you take a screenshot of and save, because they mean a lot. It means you did the right thing.”
Even outside of those who shared their post-season thanks, every player on Crabtree’s first FCSL roster left a lasting impression on him, especially one who stood out for his infectious personality: Carlos Fuenmayor.
“There were just moments throughout the year that I would be coaching third base and I hear him yelling something in the dugout, and it just makes me smile,” Crabtree said. “I’ll turn around, I’ll give him a look or the guys will do something funny to keep the mood light and those are the moments that you remember.”
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