The Florida Collegiate Summer League has announced that the Orlando Mavericks have joined the league for the 2010 season.  The addition of the new franchise brings the league up to five teams.

I wrote earlier this off season about the demise of the Clermont Mavericks.  Clermont had been part of the Florida Collegiate Summer League for two years, but lack of community support caused the owners, Tim Dye and Dan Decker, to close up shop.  In a sense, the new team in Orlando is a rebirth of the old Clermont franchise.

Although Dye and Decker will not be involved in this version of the franchise, the team will resurrect the Maverick name.  The team will be owned by the league and will be run in association with The First Academy in Orlando.  The First Academy is owned by former MLB All-Star and current ESPN broadcaster Orel Hershiser.  The field at the Orel Hershiser Sports Complex in Orlando will serve as the Mavericks home field.

Kevin Schnake has been named GM of the new franchise.  He previously served as the director of public relations for the Florida Collegiate Summer League.

The Mavericks will be managed by Scott Makarewicz.  He previously managed the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs of the Florida Collegiate Summer League and led them to a championship in 2006.  The team is currently searching for assistant coaches.

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