Jolley: the postseason has become a Leesburg Lightning rite of passage – Daily Commercial

Reaching the postseason has become a rite of passage for the Leesburg Lightning.

Its not a hope.

Its an expectation.

And for the 15th consecutive season every year of its existence Leesburg has qualified for the Florida Collegiate Summer League playoffs. The Lightning will finish no worse than second place in the FCSL standings and could still heading into Fridays game at DeLand finish with the leagues best regular-season record and enjoy home-field advantage for the duration of their postseason run.

Frank Jolley: There's just something about being at a ballpark especially 'The Pat'

King of turf: Groundskeeper provides Leesburg Lightning with pristine playing field

The Lightnings opponent in the playoffs might not be known until Saturdayevening, when the regular season wraps, but the Lightning punched its postseason ticket earlier in the week.

Leesburg has been steady as a rock all season, from its home opener through the myriad rain outs and down the home stretch. The Lightning have been remarkably consistent all season their longest losing streak has been just two games, while fashioning a five game winning streak.

But, in spite of the teams regular-season success over the years, the playoffs are a different story.

Leesburg set a high bar for itself in 2007 its inaugural season by winning the league multiple championships.

Since then, the Lightning have reached the title game or series the FCSL switched from a single-game championship to a best-of-3 series in 2018 five times, including last season. That makes for seven title shots for Leesburg in its first 14 years.

Only Winter Park and Sanford both charter members of the FCSL have played for as many or more championships, appearing in eight and seven title games or series, respectively. The Diamond Dawgs and River Rats also have won the most Whiting Cups the FCSL championship trophy with five apiece.

Pretty rarified air.

For those who want to nitpick and point out the Lightning is only 2-5 when they play for the championship, would you prefer playing albeit losing for the title, or never having the opportunity?

Thats like denying the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills overwhelming success in the 1970s and 1990s because they got to but didnt win four Super Bowls.

Fact is, the franchise has been among the most successful in the Florida Collegiate Summer League since playing its first game.

Simply put, the Lightning is, arguably, the leagues marquee franchise. More fans pack Pat Thomas Stadium-Buddy Lowe Field than any other building in the league and thats been the case every year since opening night in 2007, when an overflow crowd filled the Pat for the first game in team history.

A lot of teams try to drum up support before each season by talking up their hopes for reaching the playoffs.

Thats not just a hope in Leesburg.

Its pretty much a requirement.

And it all begins next week with the second season.

Write to Frank Jolley at frank.jolley@dailycommercial.com.

See the article here:

Jolley: the postseason has become a Leesburg Lightning rite of passage - Daily Commercial