Weekly Power Rankings: July 9

By Ellie Rand

Note: This week’s CRSCBL Power Rankings were released on Thursday, rather than the league’s usual Wednesday schedule, due to the 2026 All-Star Game.

Each week throughout the season, the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League staff releases its power rankings, recognizing the league’s top three teams.

With the All-Star break over, the race for first place has taken another dramatic turn.

Bethesda has surged to the top of the rankings after extending its winning streak to 10 games and taking over first place in the North Division. Olney remains close behind after another productive week, while Southern Maryland falls to third after dropping three straight.

Here are the CRSCBL staff’s Week 5 Power Rankings:

1. Bethesda Big Train (20-8, 1st in North)

The hottest team in the CRSCBL has officially claimed the top spot.

After sitting in second place a week ago, Bethesda rose to No. 1 following a perfect week that extended its winning streak to 10 consecutive games. The Big Train now owns the league’s best record at 20-8 and has become the toughest team to compete against in the CRSCBL.

The numbers tell the story. Bethesda has scored 219 runs this season while posting a .290 batting average, a .431 on-base percentage, and a .434 slugging percentage. More importantly, the Big Train continues finding different ways to win, whether through explosive offensive performances, dominant pitching, or late-game comebacks.

No player has embodied that surge more than Zachary Malvasio (UCF).

The right fielder earned Week 5 Hitter of the Week honors after batting .400 (6-for-15) with three home runs, six RBIs, five extra-base hits, and a 1.133 slugging percentage. Malvasio now leads the entire CRSCBL with seven home runs as the league’s premier power hitter.

His biggest performance came in Bethesda’s pivotal 5-3 victory over Olney, where he blasted two home runs, drove in three runs, and erased a late deficit with a game-changing shot in the fifth frame that sparked a four-run rally.

The Big Train’s offense never cooled. Against Alexandria, Ryan Foscolo (Kentucky) collected two hits and drove in three runs, as Emilio Gonzalez (Nova Southeastern) added two RBIs during the comeback victory.

Bethesda followed with another complete performance against the Gaithersburg Giants. Charlie Hoagland (East Carolina) was nearly untouchable, tossing four scoreless innings with nine strikeouts before Aiden Parker (George Mason) finished the final three frames scoreless in a 7-1 victory. 

Even Wednesday’s game against the Thunderbolts followed the same script. Trailing 7-3 entering the sixth inning, the Big Train erupted for seven unanswered runs. Brennon Wright (South Alabama), Malvasio, Foscolo, Logan Ponnett (George Mason), and TJ Gramesty (Florida Atlantic) all drove in runs during the decisive inning as Bethesda stormed back, completing another comeback win. Gramesty finished with two hits and three RBIs, Foscolo drove in two, and Cal Johnson (Maryland) reached base four times.

The incredible part about Bethesda’s hot streak isn’t simply the offense. The pitching staff consistently delivers quality outings, the bullpen has repeatedly shut the door late, and nearly every hitter in the lineup has contributed during the winning streak.

2. Olney Cropdusters (18-9, 2nd in North)

For the first time since June 18, Olney isn’t sitting atop the rankings. That has less to do with the Cropdusters struggling and more to do with Bethesda catching fire.

Olney still owns one of the league's best records at 18-9, has gone 7-3 over its last 10 games, and continues to feature one of the most complete rosters in the CRSCBL.

The Cropdusters’ offense is elite. The team leads the league with 228 runs while batting .274 with a .424 on-base percentage, .414 slugging percentage, and 25 home runs.

This past week, however, it was the pitching staff that stole the spotlight. Across four games, Olney surrendered just eight total runs, demonstrating why it remains atop the standings as an all-around powerful team.

The offense certainly did its part as well. Logan Baratta (Jacksonville) enjoyed one of the best weeks of any hitter in the league, batting .533 (8-for-15) with four RBIs and a home run.

He opened the week with a monster performance against the D.C. Grays, finishing 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a home run, and two RBIs during a convincing 10-1 victory.

A few days later, Olney overwhelmed the Thunderbolts.

Patrick Gozdan (West Chester) homered in the opening inning before Owen McNeal (Coastal Alabama) delivered a two-run single as the Cropdusters built an early lead they never surrendered in an 11-3 W.

Austin Weiss (Maryland) highlighted another outstanding pitching effort by tossing three scoreless frames, striking out four, after Nolan Ross (Dickinson) kept the game under control early.

Although the Cropdusters split the week at 2-2, they remain firmly in the race for first place, trailing Bethesda by only 1.5 games.

3. Southern Maryland Senators (16-11, 1st in South)

Southern Maryland still leads the South Division, but they enter this week searching for answers.

After holding steady near the top of the rankings for much of the summer, Southern Maryland slid to No. 3 following a difficult stretch in which it has lost three consecutive games, gone 5-5 over its last 10, and won just one game during the past week.

The recent struggles have been especially uncharacteristic for one of the league’s most consistent clubs.

Over their last four games, the Senators have surrendered 35 runs, a sharp contrast from the dominant pitching performances that helped put them at the top of the Power Rankings the week of June 18.

Their lone victory came against the Metro South County Braves. Braylen Gonzalez (Binghamton) recorded two hits and scored a run, Zachary Anderson (Binghamton) drove in a run, and James Layman (Wofford) delivered the game’s biggest swing with a two-run double during the opening inning as SOMD earned an early lead it never relinquished.

Despite the slump, several hitters continued producing. Anderson batted .400, collecting four hits and two RBIs, while Gonzalez also hit .400, scoring three runs with four hits and two RBIs. 

For the season, the Senators remain one of the league’s toughest offensive teams, compiling 205 runs, a .268 batting average, a .426 on-base percentage, and 18 total home runs.

The talent is still there, and they still maintain first place in the South by 2.5 games.