The 2017 FHSI Tournaments promise to provide an exciting week of high school baseball to Seminole County.
Below are links to the schedules each week:
Thirty-Nine Teams to Compete in 2017 Florida League High School Invitational
Orlando, Fla. – One of the premier amateur baseball tournaments in the country will once again be held in Central Florida this spring. The Florida League High School Invitational (FHSI) will host 39 teams over a three-week span in March and April.
The primary location of the event is Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium in Sanford, FL. The stadium served as a Spring Training facility for the New York Giants in the 1950s, and has seen countless legends set foot on its field, including Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. The three weeks of play are March 13-17, March 20-24, and April 10-14.
Entering its 10th year of play, the FHSI has vaulted to the top of professional scouts lists of “must-see” events. In its storied history, the tournament has seen more than a dozen All-Americans, nine 1st Round MLB draft picks, and five players who have reached Major League Baseball: Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Greg Bird and Carson Fulmer. NCAA All-Americans JJ Schwarz, Pavin Smith and Chris Okey have also made their way to Sanford for the FHSI. The event has grown from a one-week, eight-team exhibition to a field that spans dozens of teams from all over the country. To date, ten different states have sent more than 100 schools to Central Florida to compete.
“Spring break is an exciting time for us as we welcome many terrific high school teams to Seminole County for our tournaments,” said Tournament Director and Florida League Vice-President Stefano Foggi. “We truly believe that the FHSI is one of the premier tournaments in the country. Seeing players like Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez in the World Series just five years after playing in the FHSI speaks to the tremendous talent coming through Sanford, and the tradition will continue this year with a strong group of teams and individual players.”
The first week of play, dubbed “The Showcase”, will take place between March 13-17 and feature 13 teams in a pool play style tournament. Participating schools include: Barron Collier, Flagler Palm Coast, Florida High, Harmony, Jensen Beach, Lake Minneola, Maclay School, Montverde Academy, Palmetto Ridge, Seabreeze and University (Orange City). In addition, Hillcrest High School will travel from Tuscaloosa, AL to partake in their first FHSI tournament. It will also be the first time in the tournament for Harmony High; every other team has participated at least once in years past.
“The Classic” is week two of the event, spanning March 20-24. This year, 18 teams will compete for the 1st place trophy in a pool play style tournament. Among the 18 teams are four former FHSI champions: Olympia (2014-15), Timber Creek (2010-11), Seminole (2013) and San Gorgonio (2014), who will be traveling from San Bernardino, CA. Other competitors include: American Heritage, Atlantic Community, Bolles School, Boone, Gainesville, Hagerty, Orangewood Christian, Royal Palm Beach, Suncoast, University Christian, Vero Beach and Winter Springs. The Classic will also feature two teams from outside of Florida: Highland (Monterey, VA) and Hillwood (Nashville, TN).
The Invitational will wrap up with “The Challenge” on April 10-14. Eight teams will battle during the week: Bishop Moore, Cypress Bay, Miami Palmetto, Mourning, Pine Crest, South Dade, Taravella, and for the second time, Westfield High from Chantilly, Virginia.
“We look forward to continue providing a top-notch spring break tournament experience that offers a platform for our teams to perform on,” said Foggi. “This year’s teams are as impressive as any tournament I can remember and I can’t wait to see who will raise the trophy next.”
Family members and friends can follow the action of each game LIVE via the Pointstreak app and on www.floridaleaguetournaments.com. Every game will also receive a post-game recap on the website, and live updates on the Florida League twitter account, @floridaleague.
For more information regarding the High School Invitational, please contact Stefano Foggi at sfoggi@floirdaleague.com or at (321) 206-9174.