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Congratulations to Emilio Gonzalez and Drew Bellis, the 2025 Cal Ripken Sr. League Most Outstanding Hitter and Pitcher, respectively. Both players excelled on the field this season, helping the Big Train capture the regular season and postseason titles. 

Gonzalez became the first player in league history to win the Triple Crown while Bellis set the single-season league strikeout record. 

Photos courtesy of the Bethesda Big Train. 

Congratulations to the 2025 First and Second Team All-League honorees! Multiple players from each team in the league were honored between the First and Second Team rosters combined. 

Highlights include Most Outstanding Hitter Emilio Gonzalez (Big Train), Most Outstanding Pitcher Drew Bellis (Big Train), standout arms Nick Wimberly (Senators) and Josh Domaracki (Thunderbolts), and consistent hitters like Derek Almeda (Aces) and Ryan Soong (Grays). 

Check out the full All-League rosters here.

For the 12th time in history, the Bethesda Big Train are Cal Ripken Sr. League Champions! The Big Train swept the Alexandria Aces in two games to win their third consecutive championship and fourth in five seasons.

Big Train outfielder Alex Peltier (East Carolina) took home League Championship Series Most Outstanding Player honors, going 5-for-10 with a homer, six RBIs, two steals, and five runs scored scored in the two-game sweep. Read more about Peltier's impact here.

SUNDAY, JULY 27 | GAME 1
Big Train 10, Aces 4 – Big Train leads series 1-0 – RECAP

MONDAY, JULY 28 | GAME 2
Big Train 15, Aces 3 – Big Train wins series 2-0 – RECAP

The Cal Ripken Sr. League 2025 playoff picture is set! Due to a weather-shortened season, all eight teams are making the playoffs this year. The final seeding is listed below. More information about playoff seeding is available here.

1. Big Train
2. Aces
3. Cropdusters
4. Senators
5. Grays
6. Giants
7. Thunderbolts
8. Braves

The Grays and Thunderbolts won the initial play-in games, but both lost the second round play-in games to the Senators and Cropdusters, respectively, the following day. 

FIRST PLAY-IN GAMES

Grays 7, Braves 6 – Grays advance – Recap

Thunderbolts 8, Giants 4 – Thunderbolts advance – Recap

SECOND PLAY-IN GAMES

Senators 3, Grays 2 – Senators advance to LCS Semifinals – Recap

Cropdusters 5, Thunderbolts 3 – Cropdusters advance to LCS Semifinals – Recap

LCS SEMI-FINALS (Best of 3 series)

Aces defeat Cropdusters in 2 games

Big Train defeats Senators in 3 games

Catchers and umpires share one of the most complex relationships in all of sports. Over the course of a game, they develop a quiet partnership built on shared bumps and bruises, mutual care, and a respect that few others across sports can truly understand. Read more about this relationship from Mahaley Wise.

Photo by Maya Brichacek

On Sunday, July 20, the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League inducted four new members into the league Hall of Fame. 

Hunter Brown - Pitcher - Bethesda Big Train (2018)

Don Dinan - Management Executive - Alexandria Aces (2008-2024)

Alex Thompson - Management Executive - Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League (2005-2025)

Jordan Westburg - Infielder - Gaithersburg Giants (2017)

Read more about the induction ceremony here.

Full video of the 2025 induction ceremony

Alexandria Aces assistant coach Jen Hammond, Aces scorekeeper Emily-Anne Patt, and Bethesda Big Train Director of Operations Raquel Ordonez each play important roles for their teams and the CRSCBL. While each of their journeys is a little bit different, they share similar experiences that shape who they are and the impact they have on baseball. Learn more about the women leaders across the CRSCBL from Erin Hughes.

Photo by Ali Ali

Two dozen Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League alumni were selected in the 2025 MLB Draft, plus at least one more signed an undrafted free agent contract. The Bethesda Big Train had 13 of those players, the Alexandria Aces added seven, the Cropdusters had two, and the D.C. Grays, Gaithersburg Giants, and Metro South County Braves each had one draftee. Read more from Erin Hughes.

Photo by Brandon Lauchnor

Two Cal Ripken Sr. League alumni – Hunter Brown and Brandon Lowe – were both named to the 2025 American League All-Star roster. Brown (2018) and Lowe (2014) both starred for the Bethesda Big Train in the CRSCBL before going on to successful professional careers. Read more here.

Congratulations to our 2025 Cal Ripken Sr. League All-Stars! The complete North and South Division All-Star rosters are now available here.

While the 2025 CRSCBL All-Star Game was sadly canceled due to weather, we want to give a hand to all of these All-Stars on a well-deserved honor and a great season thus far!

In 2000, Richard O'Connor brought the Thunderbolts to Silver Spring, aiming to unite the community around baseball. A quarter century later, they've become an enduring force in the Cal Ripken Sr. League. Read more from Jack Stashower. 

Photo by Maya Brichacek

Jimmy Kirk (Millersville) joined the Cropdusters in 2022, their first year in the Cal Ripken Sr. League. This year Kirk – affectionately called Mr. Cropduster – is back in Olney for a fourth straight summer. Read more from Mahaley Wise.

As part of their Women in Sports Night, the Bethesda Big Train celebrated local women's baseball leagues on Wednesday night. Learn more about DC Girls Baseball and the Eastern Women's Baseball Conference from Mahaley Wise. 

Since joining the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League three years ago, the Southern Maryland Senators have shown improvement year after year. After sneaking into the playoffs and making a run all the way to the Championship Series a year ago, this year's Senators are 12-8 with a share of the South Division lead. Read more from Jack Stashower.

Four Cal Ripken Sr. League teams combined to collect 2,267 pounds of food for the Manna Food Center on Saturday. Their collections will support people in need across Montgomery County. Learn more about the food drive here. 

Despite heavy rains and thunderstorms, the Bethesda Big Train proudly hosted their fourth annual Clarence “Pint” Isreal Juneteenth Classic against the Gaithersburg Giants on Thursday night. Read more from Mahaley Wise.

Photo by Maya Brichacek

The Olney Boys and Girls Sports Association (OBGC) announced it has launched the Cropdusters CARES program. The Cropdusters CARES program stands for Community, Appreciation, Responsibility, Engagement, and Support, and has been established to raise awareness and help elevate other nonprofits in the local community. Learn more from OBGC and the Cropdusters. 

The 2025 Cal Ripken Sr. League season is fast approaching! We'll open league play on Tuesday, June 3 when the Metro South County Braves host the Southern Maryland Senators. The remaining teams will spring into action on Wednesday, June 4. 

Catch up on all you need to know about each team with our 2025 Season Previews. 

Photo by Tim Pruss

The Cal Ripken Sr. League is excited to release our 2024 Season Report! Dive in and catch up on all the excitement from last summer, both on and off the field.

View the full report here.