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2024 Most Outstanding Hitter and Pitcher Announced
Congratulations to our 2024 Cal Ripken Sr. League Most Outstanding Hitter and Pitcher!
Most Outstanding Hitter: Andrew Williamson (Big Train, Central Florida)
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Ethan Houghtaling (Aces, Grand Valley State)
Photos by Brandon Lauchnor and Esther Frances
All League First and Second Team Honors
The Cal Ripken Sr. League is excited to announce our 2024 All-League First and Second teams. These teams were voted on by coaches and staff around the league after the conclusion of the season.
All eight teams featured at least one player on the All-League First Team. Highlights include offensive stars such as Andrew Williamson (Big Train), Carter Groen (Senators), Jeff Sabater (Thunderbolts), and Jack Pokorak (Braves), along with pitchers including Ethan Houghtaling (Aces), Michael Sills (Grays), Ayden Gonzalez (Giants), and Jaden Newton (Cropdusters).
Bethesda Big Train Win 2024 League Championship
For the second straight year and 11th time in history, the Bethesda Big Train are Cal Ripken Sr. League Champions!
The Big Train defeated the Senators Thursday night, 12-3, to complete the two-game championship series sweep. Andrew Williamson was named League Championship Series Most Outstanding Player. Read the game recap here from Taylor Bretl.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor.
Led by Middleton, Senators' Growth in Second Season Leads to Championship Appearance
The Southern Maryland Senators joined the Cal Ripken Sr. League in 2023. In 2024, head coach Scott Middleton guided them to the League Championship Series, and a matchup against his close friend and mentor, Big Train manager Sal Colangelo.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor
Big Train Take Game 1 of Finals
The Bethesda Big Train rallied to defeat the Southern Maryland Senators in Game 1 of the League Championship Series, 9-2. This puts the Big Train one win away from a second straight (and 11th overall) league title, while the Senators will need to win two in a row to claim their first championship.
Read the full recap from Michael Stamatos here.
The Big Train and Senators face off in Game 2 of the LCS on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Povich Field. Tickets are available here.
Semifinal Series Wrap
Semifinal Round – Best of 3 Series
#4 Senators vs. # 1 Aces
Senators 4, Aces 3 – Recap
Senators 9, Aces 0
Senators win Semifinals, 2-0
#3 Big Train vs. #2 Giants
Big Train 11, Giants 2 – Recap
Big Train 10, Giants 3 – Recap
Big Train win Semifinals, 2-0
Big Train and Senators both advance to the League Championship Series. Watch the final outs of each series below.
Carter Groen's All-Around Play Driving Senators' Success
Carter Groen leads the Senators in almost every offensive category. Their slugging right fielder has come up with key hits and big defensive plays all season long. Now, he looks to lead the Senators to their first championship.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor
Big Train, Senators Win to Advance to Semifinals
The Bethesda Big Train and Southern Maryland Senators won their first round play-in matchups Saturday night, advancing to the semifinals.
The Big Train plated 16 runs against the Braves, led by Luke Vaughn's three-hit, three RBI night, and capped off by Andrew Williamson's three-run home run in the eighth inning.
The Senators' bats also broke out, scoring 14 runs to defeat the Cropdusters. Mikey Guy had four hits, while Nathan Brewer drove in four runs.
First Round Play-In Games
Big Train 16, Braves 4 – Recap
Senators 14, Cropdusters 4 – Recap
Cal Ripken Sr. League All-Name Team
In the major leagues, you’ve likely heard of Jazz Chisholm on the Miami Marlins and Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays. At this April’s NFL Draft, Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry was selected by the New Orleans Saints.
In the Cal Ripken Sr. League this year, names like Katcher Halligan, Nolan Book, and Jonah Snowberger stand out. Read more here from Tim Wilcox.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor.
18 League Alumni Selected in 2024 MLB Draft
Eighteen Ripken Sr. League alumni had their names called in the 2024 MLB Draft. The group marks the most selections from the CRSCBL since the MLB Draft was shortened from 40 rounds after the 2019 Draft.
Alumni from the Big Train, Aces, Giants, Thunderbolts, and Grays were all selected.
Read about all of the draftees from Tim Wilcox.
Photo courtesy of Bethesda Big Train.
Aces Win Regular Season Title
The Alexandria Aces have won the Cal Ripken Sr. League regular season title for the third year in a row! Their win on Monday clinched them the #1 playoff seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Photos by Brandon Lauchnor.
Big Train's Williamson Taking League by Storm
Since arriving in Bethesda on June 10, Big Train outfielder Andrew Williamson has dominated Cal Ripken Sr. League pitching. He ranks among league leaders in average, OPS, home runs, RBI, and runs scored.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor
Grays Flourishing In Coach Bankston's Second Year
In his second year at the helm of the DC Grays, head coach Maurice Bankston has helped the team flourish. The team's pitching has always been a strong suit, and several big bats have made the Grays a well-rounded contender in the South Division.
Read more from Courtney Larrimore.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor.
North Division Victorious in 2024 All-Star Game
The North All-Stars defeated the South All-Stars 5-3 in Tuesday's midsummer classic in Olney. Big Train second baseman Kenan Bowman (East Carolina) took home All-Star Game MVP honors, as his two-run homer proved be the difference in the contest.
Catch up on all the action below!
Full North and South All-Star Rosters
Hear from some of the All-Stars before the game
Photo by Tim Pruss/My Drone.Pro
T-Bolts' Sabater Sets Himself Apart with "Pro"-Level Speed
This spring, Jeff Sabater (Millersville) set a school record with 57 stolen bases. This summer, the Thunderbolt outfielder is among the league leaders in batting average and steals.
Learn more about how his speed and flashy play have earned him an All-Star nod for the Thunderbolts.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor
Orioles Assistant GM Eve Rosenbaum Visits Big Train and Grays
Before the D.C. Grays and Bethesda Big Train faced off on Friday night, Baltimore Orioles assistant general manager and Bethesda native Eve Rosenbaum stopped by Shirley Povich Field to talk to both ball clubs.
Photo by Taylor Bretl
Bethesda Big Train Release Their Own Baseball Cards
On Saturday, June 29th, the Bethesda Big Train held their Baseball Card Night, becoming the first team in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League to issue their own sports cards.
Photo courtesy of Bethesda Big Train
Alexandria Slugger Jenkins is set for MLB Draft
Jeremiah Jenkins hit 50 homers across three seasons at the University of Maine. He's hitting .326/.484/.630 for the Aces this summer. Now, the Maryland native is gearing up for the MLB Draft in mid-July as a top-200 prospect, per MLB.com rankings.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor.
Giants Continue to Blossom as Well-Rounded Contender
By the end of June, the Gaithersburg Giants passed last season’s win total. In fact, they’re on pace for one of their best seasons since the team joined the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate League in 2013. The Giants are 16-9 entering their July 2 contest with the Senators, good for the best record in the North Division and the second-best record in the league.
Read more about their red hot 2024 from Michael Stamatos.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor.
Memorabilia and Traditions from the CRSCBL's Oldest Teams
The Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League’s two oldest teams, the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts and Bethesda Big Train, possess countless items to remind us of their rich histories. Both teams formed more than 20 years ago, before the CRSCBL came into existence.
Players from Three Teams Collect More Than 3,000 Pounds of Food for Manna Food Center
Players and staff from the Big Train, Giants, and Thunderbolts collected food donations at 12 local Giant grocery stores Saturday morning. In total, they collected 3,183 pounds of food for Manna Food Center, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing quality food for people experiencing hunger and food insecurity.
Reigning Pitcher of the Year Cassedy Returns to Bethesda in a New Role
Last year, Brandon Cassedy won CRSCBL Most Outstanding Pitcher, with a 0.64 ERA in six starts. Now, he's back for a second summer, this time as a shutdown reliever out of the Big Train bullpen. Read more from Tim Wilcox.
Photo by Peter Li
Back in Olney Again, Kirk Continues to Hit
Back for a third summer with the Cropdusters, Jimmy Kirk continues to mash against CRSCBL pitching. Read more from Michael Stamatos.
Photo by Brandon Lauchnor
From the Cal Ripken Sr. League to the Majors
League Media Intern Taylor Bretl takes a look at all of the CRSCBL alumni who have been on MLB rosters this season. Learn more about their recent successes here.
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
2023 Annual Report is here!
2024 Most Outstanding Hitter: Andrew Williamson
Big Train outfielder Andrew Williamson (Central Florida) is the 2024 Cal Ripken Sr. League Most Outstanding Hitter.
Williamson set new league records in batting average (.462), slugging (.906), and OPS (1.452). Additionally, he led the league in doubles (16) and runs scored (38), tied for the lead with 9 home runs, finished second in on-base percentage (.546), and third in RBI (33).
Williamson earned Player of the Week honors in Week 2 and Week 6, and was also named the League Championship Series Most Outstanding Player.
2024 Most Outstanding Pitcher: Ethan Houghtaling
Aces right-hander Ethan Houghtaling (Grand Valley State) is the 2024 Cal Ripken Sr. League Most Outstanding Pitcher.
Houghtaling led the league with 5 wins and 44.2 innings pitched, tied for the lead with 51 strikeouts, and finished second with a 2.62 ERA. He allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his eight starts, and had back to back 11-strikeout outings.
He was also named Pitcher of the Week in Week 2.
League Championship Series Most Outstanding Player
Big Train outfielder Andrew Williamson (Central Florida) is the 2024 Cal Ripken Sr. League Championship Series Most Outstanding Player. He went 6-for-11 in the finals with three runs scored, three steals, and one RBI. His 4-for-5 performance in Game 1 set the tone for the league champion Big Train.
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