Weekly Power Rankings: June 24

By Ellie Rand

Last week's top two teams, the Senators and Cropdusters, remained in this week's power rankings, though in a different order this time. But the reigning champion Bethesda Big Train have started surging, launching them into the power rankings for the first time this summer. 

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

1. Olney Cropdusters (12-6, 1st in North)

Two weeks ago, the Cropdusters were unranked. Last week, they climbed to No. 2 after claiming first place in the North Division. Now, after another dominant stretch, Olney sits at the top spot in the Week 3 power rankings.

The Cropdusters finished the week 4-1 and have won eight of their last 10 games, continuing one of the hottest stretches in the league. While Southern Maryland entered Week 2 atop the rankings and Gaithersburg held the No. 1 position during opening week, Olney has become one of the most complete teams.

Their week began with an offensive explosion in a 16-4 road victory over Metro South County. Olney overwhelmed the Braves with 11 hits, 12 walks, and three home runs while scoring 10 unanswered runs over the final five frames.

Ryan Bouma (Frostburg State) scored four times and launched a home run, while Landon Springmeyer (Undecided) drove in four runs, including a three-run homer in the ninth inning. Ben Bolhouse (West Chester) added a three-run blast of his own as the Cropdusters posted their highest run total of the week.

The following night, Olney showed it could win in a completely different fashion.

Behind five scoreless innings from Marco Levari (La Salle), the Cropdusters edged SS-T 5-3. Patrick Gozdan (West Chester) collected three hits and Bouma drove in two runs as Olney relied on explosive hitting and strong pitching to secure its fourth consecutive victory.

The Cropdusters then faced a critical matchup against Southern Maryland, earning one of their most important wins of the early season.

In a battle between division leaders, Olney defeated the Senators 6-5 behind a balanced offensive effort. Maximus Wearing (Rutgers) finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored, as Cade Walter (Jacksonville) delivered the game’s most impactful hit, driving in two runs during a decisive fifth inning. Donis Rodriguez (Millersville) added two hits and an RBI, and the bullpen combined to protect a one-run lead late.

Facing Silver Spring-Takoma once again on June 21, Olney erupted in a 14-1 rout. The Cropsdusters scored nine runs in the fourth inning alone, turning a scoreless game into a blowout.

Dylan Melton (UMBC) led the charge, finishing 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. Zakye Hawkins (New Mexico) reached base three times and scored twice, while Logan Baratta (Jacksonville) drove in two runs and crossed the plate three times.

The pitching was equally dominant.

After Ross Lindsey (Alabama) worked through the first two innings, Week 3 Pitcher of the Week Ben Jones (West Chester) took over completely and silenced the Thunderbolts. The right-hander tossed five shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three. The performance came only days after Jones struck out six batters across three shutout relief innings against Alexandria, capping a week in which he surrendered just three hits over eight scoreless innings.

Olney’s offensive depth has become one of its greatest strengths.

Nearly every spot in the lineup contributed throughout Week 3. Springmeyer led the team with 14 RBIs during the scoring period and launched four homers. Bouma added three homers, eight RBIs, and scored 10 runs. Wearing batted .444 with seven RBIs and a .583 on-base percentage, while Gozdan hit .474, reaching base at a .667 clip.

Rodriguez continued to impact games in multiple ways, hitting .400 with nine RBIs and seven stolen bases this season, while Melton enjoyed a breakout week, batting .462 with a home run and nine total bases.

The Cropdusters’ recent rise has also coincided with improved pitching.

Jones and Levari combined for 13 scoreless innings this week, while Henry Lewis (UMBC) tallied five scoreless frames with six strikeouts. Opposing hitters struggled to generate consistent offense against an increasingly reliable Olney club.

What makes Olney’s progression even more impressive is how dramatically things have changed since Opening Week. The Cropdusters began the summer just 4-5 and sat outside the rankings altogether. Three weeks later, they own the league’s best record, first place in the North Division standings, and victories over nearly every contender in the CRSCBL.

2. Southern Maryland Senators (11-6, 1st in South)

After rising from outside the rankings to the No. 1 spot in Week 2, the Senators remain firmly among the CRSCBL’s elite despite surrendering the top ranking this week to Olney.

Southern Maryland finished the week 3-2 and continues to sit atop the South Division with an 11-6 overall record. While the Cropdusters have surged into first overall, the Senators continue to be one of the league’s most dangerous ballclubs thanks to an offense that has been nearly impossible to contain.

No team has scored more runs than SOMD. Through 17 games, the Senators lead the CRSCBL with 155 total runs while posting a .294 batting average, .457 on-base percentage, and 13 home runs. Their lineup has consistently produced from top to bottom, allowing them to overcome deficits and put games out of reach quickly.

Their week began with one of the most remarkable comebacks of the season thus far.

Facing Bethesda on June 18, the Senators found themselves trailing 8-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning. Rather than folding, SOMD erupted for 18 unanswered runs over the final three innings to complete an unbelievable 18-9 victory.

They produced 11 runs in the seventh inning alone.

Cole Rhame (Richmond) sparked the rally with a two-run double. Week 3 Hitter of the Week, Bud Coombs (Vanderbilt), finished with three RBIs and a home run, while Rhame recorded two doubles and two RBIs. 

Southern Maryland followed that performance with an even larger offensive outburst the next night against Alexandria.

The Senators scored 19 runs on 13 hits in a 19-5 rout of the Aces, collecting nine walks and putting pressure on Alexandria from the opening inning. Kai Lwin (Florida Atlantic) led the charge with four RBIs, while Rhame drove in two runs and reached base three times. Kieran Kehoe (Iona), Jackson Hays (Yale), Jack Euart (Wofford), and James Layman (Wofford) each added two RBIs in their most complete offensive performance this season.

The Senators then split a doubleheader with first-place Olney in the most important series of the week.

After dropping the opener 6-5, Southern Maryland responded emphatically in Game 2 with a 16-11 victory. The Senators erased an early four-run deficit by scoring 16 runs over the first four innings and overwhelming the league's hottest team.

Coombs delivered one of the best individual performances of the week, finishing with four runs scored, three RBIs, three stolen bases, and a home run. 

Rhame scored three times and drove in two runs, while Jackson Nichols (Eastern Illinois) added two hits and two RBIs. James Carlson (Youngstown State) chipped in two RBIs, and the Senators drew an astonishing 12 walks while forcing Olney's pitching into constant trouble.

The offensive production has been fueled by several players capturing standout summers.

Coombs has become one of the league's most feared hitters. During the week, he batted .545 with four home runs, 16 RBIs, and an eye-popping 1.091 slugging percentage. The Vanderbilt outfielder now owns a .552 season batting average, .683 on-base percentage, and four home runs despite appearing in only eight games.

Carlson continues to provide power in the middle of the lineup. The outfielder hit .450 during the week with nine RBIs and now leads the league with 19 RBIs while ranking among the league leaders with four home runs.

Fulford remains one of the league's premier table-setters. The versatile infielder is batting .391 with a .548 on-base percentage while continuing to create scoring opportunities both at the plate and on the bases.

While the offense has deserved most of the attention, Southern Maryland's pitching staff also delivered several key performances.

Brody Juntunen (Florida Atlantic) earned Week 3's biggest pitching win, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing only two hits and striking out six in the victory over Alexandria. Nick West (Yale) added another quality outing against Olney, earning the win after striking out four across four innings.

With the league's highest-scoring offense, a division lead entering Week 4, and multiple hitters performing at an all-league level, Southern Maryland could easily climb the rankings again.

3. Bethesda Big Train (9-7, 2nd in North)

After dropping their first two games of the week to fall below .500, the Big Train looked in danger of slipping out of the power rankings altogether. Instead, Bethesda responded with its best stretch of baseball of the summer, rattling off three consecutive wins to finish the week and improve to 9-7 overall.

Bethesda's offense erupted for 20 runs over its final two games of the week, while the pitching staff delivered clutch performances to secure a weekend slate sweep featuring Metro South County and Gaithersburg.

The Big Train ranks among the league's most productive offensive clubs, scoring 141 runs while posting a .278 batting average, .426 on-base percentage, and .431 slugging percentage. Their balanced lineup has produced 10 home runs and found ways to manufacture offense through speed and timely hitting.

Several hitters fueled Bethesda's resurgence during Week 3.

Right fielder Zachary Malvasio (UCF) continued to establish himself as one of the league's premier power threats. The sophomore hit .357 during the week, going 10-for-28 with four home runs, 10 RBIs and a remarkable .821 slugging percentage. Malvasio's power has been a constant force all summer, as he now leads the club with four home runs and owns a team-best .703 slugging percentage for the season.

Cal Johnson (College of Central Florida) delivered some of the week's biggest moments. The infielder batted .321 with nine hits, nine runs scored, and seven RBIs, highlighted by a dramatic walk-off two-run homer against Gaithersburg. Johnson has become one of the league's most versatile offensive weapons, collecting 14 RBIs, 13 runs scored, two home runs, and three triples this season.

Julius Bagnerise (George Mason) continued his production atop the lineup, batting .389 during the week while reaching base at a .500 clip. The sophomore shortstop collected seven hits and scored seven runs, setting the table for the heart of Bethesda's order. For the season, Bagnerise owns a .341 batting average with 15 hits and a .464 on-base percentage.

The supporting cast also delivered. 

Brennon Wright (South Alabama) hit .292 during the week and recorded seven hits, while Casey Carpenter (UNC Wilmington) drove in five runs and posted a .579 slugging percentage. Logan Ponnett (George Mason) added seven hits and launched a home run, while Ryan Foscolo (Kentucky) made the most of limited opportunities by batting .462.

Bethesda's turnaround began with a 6-5 comeback victory over the Braves. Trailing 5-3 entering the fifth, the Big Train scratched across three unanswered runs to steal the win. 

Malvasio led the offense with three hits and two RBIs, while Bagnerise went 3-for-4 and scored twice. The biggest contribution on the mound came from Kyzer Smith (Florida Atlantic), who slammed the door out of the bullpen with three perfect innings and six strikeouts while allowing just one hit to earn the victory.

Later that day, Bethesda completed a sweep of the Braves with an 8-5 win. 

Wright collected three hits and an RBI, Johnson drove in two runs, and Ponnett added two hits and an RBI. After starter Alan Soler (UCF) battled through three innings, Tyrese Johnson (UT Martin) delivered three strong frames in relief, striking out five while allowing just one run. Kyle Hopper (Jacksonville) then recorded the final three outs to earn his first save of the summer.

The Big Train carried that momentum into Sunday's showdown against the first-place Gaithersburg Giants.

Behind a dominant start from Charlie Hoagland (East Carolina), Bethesda entered the late innings with a 4-1 lead before the Giants rallied to tie the game in the eighth. Rather than folding, the Big Train answered in the bottom of the ninth when Johnson crushed a walk-off two-run homer to left field, securing a 6-4 victory and completing the three-game winning streak.

Hoagland was outstanding, allowing just one run on two hits across five innings. The sophomore finished the week with a 0.90 ERA over 10 innings while limiting opponents to a .152 batting average. 

Smith was equally dominant, tossing 6.2 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts during the week. The pair anchored a pitching staff that has found its rhythm after an inconsistent start to the season.

Bethesda dug itself out of an early-week hole and finished as one of the strongest teams in the league heading into Week 4.