Weekly Power Rankings: June 18

By Ellie Rand

Each week throughout the season, the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League releases power rankings of the top three teams.

Just one week after Gaithersburg and Metro South County occupied the top two spots, the league landscape has shifted dramatically.

Southern Maryland surged from outside the rankings to the No. 1 position following a four-game winning streak, while Olney climbed into the top two after taking over first place in the North Division. Gaithersburg remains in the rankings despite a difficult week.

Through two weeks of competition complete, here is the CRSCBL staff’s top three:

1. Southern Maryland Senators (8-4, 1st in South)

After opening the summer at 4-4 and sitting outside last week’s rankings, Southern Maryland rattled off four consecutive victories to vault into first place in both the South Division and this week’s power rankings.

The Senators launched the second week with a statement 5-2 victory over Alexandria, limiting the Aces’ dangerous offense to just two runs while handing the Aces only their fourth loss of the season.

Southern Maryland followed that win with its most impressive result of the summer, rallying past Olney 9-7. Trailing midway through the contest at 6-3 against a Cropdusters team that entered the game atop the North Division standings, the Senators erupted late, piecing together runs in the final few innings to secure a victory over one of the league’s hottest ballclubs. 

Their resilience was on full display two days later against SS-T. Facing a six-run deficit entering the later innings, Southern Maryland stormed back before completing a dramatic 7-6 walk-off victory, with an absolute bomb from James Carlson (Youngstown State).

The offensive fireworks continued Wednesday as the Senators' bats stayed red-hot in a 16-9 victory over Metro South County. Southern Maryland collected 16 hits and scored 10 runs over the final three innings to turn a close contest into a convincing win.

The Senators’ offense was relentless from top to bottom.

Bud Coombs (Vanderbilt) delivered a season-defining performance, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, four runs batted in, and three runs scored. Carlson continued his torrid stretch at the plate, collecting three hits and driving in three runs, while Jack Euart (Wofford) matched Coombs with four RBIs of his own. Chase Fulford (Binghamton) added two hits and scored three times, repeatedly putting himself in scoring position and creating pressure on the bases.

After Metro South County built an 8-6 advantage in the middle innings, the Senators answered immediately. Southern Maryland scored four runs in the seventh inning to reclaim the lead before breaking the game open with a five-run eighth inning. The Senators finished the night racking up 16 hits and scoring in seven different innings.

During the four-game winning streak, Southern Maryland scored 37 runs. The Senators have built one of the CRSCBL’s most productive offenses. 

Their .259 batting average, .426 on-base percentage, and nine home runs rank among the top in the league. Southern Maryland has scored 89 runs through 12 games despite playing fewer contests than several teams around them in the standings.

No player has been more important to that success than Carlson. The outfielder enters the week tied for the league lead with 15 RBIs while leading the CRSCBL with four home runs. He delivered several key extra-base hits throughout the week, continuing to establish himself as a feared power hitter.

Fulford has been equally impactful. The versatile infielder is hitting .387 with a .537 on-base percentage and leads the entire league with eight stolen bases. 

Cole Rhame (Richmond) has also been a catalyst, posting a .360 batting average and an outstanding .610 on-base percentage while drawing 14 walks.

Southern Maryland's pitching staff has matched the offense's production. Connor Taylor (Lyon College) owns a spotless 0.00 ERA through five appearances and is tied for the league lead with two victories. Tyler VanDyke (Stetson) has yet to allow an earned run through two appearances.

2. Olney Cropdusters (8-5, 1st in North)

After beginning the season outside the rankings, the Cropdusters surged into first place in the North Division behind a commanding stretch, including a sweep of previously top-ranked Gaithersburg and a 13-0 dismantling of Alexandria.

Following an 11-4 loss to Bethesda to begin the week, Olney quickly flipped the script.

Their turnaround began Friday against the D.C. Grays. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, Olney secured a 5-1 victory behind a dominant pitching performance. Logan Hartman (Umpqua CC) tossed four innings while striking out four batters, and Nolan Ross (Dickinson) followed with three innings of relief and five strikeouts to seal the win.

The Cropdusters carried that momentum into Saturday's matchup against SS-T. 

Locked in a 1-1 game entering the sixth inning, Olney broke things open when Patrick Gozdan (West Chester) launched a go-ahead grand slam, turning a tense pitchers' duel into a 6-4 victory. Devin Aponte (West Virginia Wesleyan) was equally important on the mound, delivering 4.2 scoreless innings of relief while striking out four.

By Sunday, the Cropdusters had found their rhythm. 

After Thursday's suspended game against Southern Maryland resumed as part of a doubleheader, Olney completed an 8-5 victory over the Senators before returning to the field and edging Southern Maryland again, 5-4. The sweep capped a three-day stretch in which the Cropdusters won four consecutive games.

The defining moment of Olney's week, however, came during a home-and-home sweep of previously top-ranked Gaithersburg. The Cropdusters conquered the Giants 8-5 before defeating them 5-4 in the rematch, knocking the league's top-ranked team from the top spot and taking control of the North Division race.

Olney then delivered one of the most dominant performances by any team this summer, shutting out Alexandria 13-0. 

The Cropdusters drew 15 walks, launched two home runs, and held one of the league's most explosive offenses to just two hits, while striking out 14 batters on the mound. Landon Springmeyer (Northern Kentucky) starred with five RBIs, while the pitching staff silenced an Aces lineup featuring league batting average leader Daniel McGinnis.

The numbers suggest this success is no fluke. Olney leads the CRSCBL with 109 runs scored and 10 home runs. Their .429 on-base percentage ranks among the top and has fueled an offense capable of producing runs in bunches.

Springmeyer has been at the center of the offensive surge. Despite appearing in only seven games, he is tied for the league lead with 15 RBIs and ranks second in the league with three home runs. 

Ryan Bouma (Frostburg State) has been one of the league’s best table-setters, hitting .345 while posting an outstanding .568 on-base percentage. Hitting .333 with six RBIs and a home run, Gozdan has made the most of his opportunities, while Logan Baratta (Jacksonville) contributes 13 RBIs and six extra-base hits.

Speed has also played a major role in Olney’s success. Donis Rodriguez (Millersville) enters the week tied for second in the league with seven stolen bases.

The pitching staff has quietly been just as effective. Hartman owns a 0.00 ERA through two appearances, while Ross, Aponte, and Sean McCabe (Charleston) have all delivered key outings during Olney's recent spike.

With six wins in their last eight games, a division lead, and the league’s highest-scoring offense, the Cropdusters have certainly earned their place in this week's power rankings.

3. Gaithersburg Giants (7-5, 2nd in North)

The Giants may have fallen from last week’s No. 1, but they remain talented and dangerous.

After racing out to a league-best record during the opening week of the season, Gaithersburg hit its first rough patch, finishing the week 2-4 and surrendering first place in the North Division to Olney.

Still, the Giants remain firmly in the power rankings thanks to a deep lineup and a pitching staff loaded with standout performers.

The week began on a positive note with a dominant 13-1 victory over the D.C. Grays. Gaithersburg scored in five different innings and piled up 13 runs despite collecting only nine hits. This is the fifth time this season Gaithersburg has notched double digits.

Ayden Phillips (Jacksonville) continued his stellar summer by going 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs, while Breyden Ruiz-Weiss (Yale) drove in two runs and Ryan Strnad (Seton Hall) added an RBI and reached base three times. Marcus Martin (High Point) supplied the power with a solo home run, and Fredy Diaz (Davidson) crossed the plate four times from the leadoff spot.

On the mound, Jack Yeager (Maryland) delivered one of the most dominant pitching performances of the season, striking out eight batters over five innings while allowing just one run. The outing helped propel him into a tie for third in the league with 14 strikeouts despite making only two appearances.

Gaithersburg followed that performance with another statement win, rallying from a five-run deficit to defeat Metro South County 10-8.

Trailing 8-3 after five innings, the Giants chipped away before exploding late. Miguel Leon (John Carroll) drove in two runs in the sixth inning, Brady Powell (Radford) ripped a two-run double in the seventh, and Strnad delivered the game's biggest hit with a two-run single in the eighth to give Gaithersburg its first lead since the fourth inning.

Strnad finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two doubles, while Powell added two hits and two RBIs. Phillips reached base three times and scored twice, while Cole McKenna (Undecided) swiped another base as part of the comeback effort. Out of the bullpen, Nathan Murphy (George Washington) tossed two scoreless innings before league saves leader Sebastian Graham (Eckerd) shut the door in the ninth for his fourth save of the season.

The turning point of the week came during a crucial home-and-home series against Olney.

In the opener, the Giants battled back and forth with the Cropdusters before falling 8-5. Less than a day later, the two clubs met in a matchup with major implications for the North Division standings. Once again, Gaithersburg was tightly contested but came up short in a 5-4 loss, as Olney completed the sweep and overtook the Giants' first-place standing.

Gaithersburg’s offense has been its most productive unit thus far. Through 12 games, the Giants have scored 100 runs while posting a .274 batting average and .423 on-base percentage. Their ability to consistently put runners on base has made them a challenging lineup to navigate.

The offense starts with Phillips, who has emerged as a premier hitter. He ranks fourth overall in the league with a .447 batting average and is tied for second with 14 RBIs. The third baseman has also posted an eye-popping .596 on-base percentage, reaching base nearly sixty percent of the time.

Gaithersburg continues to boast some of the league’s top arms.

Sean Williams (Seton Hill) owns a 0.00 ERA through four appearances, ranking among the league leaders. Yeager has been nearly unhittable, recording 14 strikeouts in just two appearances to tie for third in the CRSCBL. At the back end of games, Graham is the team’s premier closer, leading all pitchers with four saves.

Even after a difficult week, Gaithersburg remains firmly in the conversation among the CRSCBL’s best clubs entering Week 3.