With the Offense Firing on All Cylinders, Southern Maryland Off to Best Start Yet

For most teams, a 9-0 deficit against the defending champion Bethesda Big Train would have marked the end of the night. For the Southern Maryland Senators, it presented another opportunity to show who they have become.

On June 18, Southern Maryland stormed back from nine runs down to stun Bethesda 18-10, completing one of the most remarkable comebacks in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League this summer. The victory came in the middle of the Senators’ six-game winning streak that also included a 7-6 comeback win over the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts after trailing 6-0.

To Senators’ head coach Scott Middleton, those games were not flukes.

“They don't give up,” Middleton said.

That mentality has helped power Southern Maryland to a 15-7 start and the top of the South Division. The Senators have become one of the league's most explosive teams, but their rise goes far beyond a hot stretch in June.

Since joining the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League in 2023, Southern Maryland has steadily evolved from an expansion team searching for its footing into a legitimate championship contender. The Senators improved from a .389 winning percentage in their inaugural season to .444 in 2024 and .543 in 2025 before taking another step forward this summer.

Middleton explained that the culture his players have built has driven the team’s progress.

“They have each other's back,” Middleton said. “There's not one person on this team that thinks they're above somebody else, and they believe they're in every game.”

That confidence emerges from one of the deepest lineups in the Ripken Sr. League.

The Senators have scored 190 runs through 22 games, averaging nearly nine runs per contest while posting a .445 on-base percentage, the best mark in the league. One season after finishing with the fewest walks in the league, Southern Maryland now leads in free passes, making every at-bat a challenge for opposing pitchers.

There are no easy outs in the Senators lineup. Ten different players have driven in at least 10 runs. Six are hitting above .300. Four own an on-base percentage over .500. Seven have homered and eight have stolen at least five bases.

“They have a great approach at the plate,” Middleton said. “They're tough outs.”

Bud Coombs (Vanderbilt) stands at the center of the Senators' hot start.

The Mechanicsville, Maryland native was named the CRSCBL Week 3 Hitter of the Week after carrying his breakout freshman season at Maryland into the summer. A two-sport athlete with the Terrapins in football and baseball, Coombs has now transferred to Vanderbilt following the season, where he will focus solely on baseball.

Through his first 12 games with Southern Maryland, Coombs is hitting .435 with five home runs, 19 RBIs, 24 runs scored, six stolen bases and a 1.355 OPS. He leads the league in home runs, runs scored and slugging percentage.

​​His biggest moments have come when the Senators needed them most. Coombs launched grand slams in back-to-back games during Southern Maryland's six-game winning streak, helping spark the comeback over the Thunderbolts before powering another comeback victory over Metro South County.

Middleton has known Coombs since he was a kid, and believes his value goes far beyond what shows up in the box score.

“I've known Bud since he was eight or nine years old,” Middleton said. “He brings energy. When he joined the team it was a perfect fit.”

While Coombs has been the headliner, he is far from the only reason for Southern Maryland's offensive success.

James Carlson (Youngstown State) ranks among the league leaders with 23 RBIs, four home runs, and 37 total bases. Chase Fulford (Binghamton) has scored 23 runs and stolen 16 bases, ranking among the league's top five in both categories. Cole Rhame (Richmond) and Jackson Hays (Yale) have also become on-base machines. Both rank among the league leaders in walks and on-base percentage. Three of the top five on-base percentages in the league all belong to Senators: Hays (.609), Rhame (.570) and Coombs (.574).

That kind of depth doesn't happen overnight. It starts long before Opening Day through the relationships Middleton has built with college coaches across the country. This summer alone, the Senators have four players from Binghamton, three from Georgia State and multiple players from Yale, Florida Atlantic and Wofford, evidence of the respect the program has earned at the Division I level.

“I really think it's a trust factor between me and the college coaches,” Middleton said. “When you build that type of trust, they send you some really good players.”

Middleton has spent years developing his reputation in baseball. Before taking over the Senators, he coached the Maryland Collegiate Baseball League’s BCC Big Train from 2014 through 2018 and helped run Bethesda Big Train youth summer camps for years. He also previously served as an assistant coach at the College of Southern Maryland.

Middleton credits longtime Bethesda Big Train manager Sal Colangelo as one of the biggest influences on his coaching philosophy.

“I learned a lot from Sal, how to structure and build a program,” Middleton said. 

Middleton has applied those lessons in creating the Senators’ roster. While Southern Maryland features players from colleges and hometowns across the country, Middleton has also made it a priority to recruit top local talent and maintain the program's Southern Maryland identity.

“I love to have local guys on the team because it gives your local community something to strive for,” Middleton said.

His recruiting philosophy has produced one of the league's deepest rosters as well as one of its most balanced teams.

Conlan Taylor (Binghamton) has been one of the league's best relievers, posting a league-leading 0.00 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 11 innings across seven appearances. Brody Juntunen (Florida Atlantic) has been just as impressive in the rotation, going 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP and 14 strikeouts in 14 innings. Nick West (Yale) leads the CRSCBL with 24 strikeouts.

Even with those numbers, Middleton knows there is still room for the staff to improve.

“We've also given up a lot of runs,” Middleton said. “When we get two strikes we can't be afraid to go after hitters.”

The Senators reached the Ripken Sr. League championship series in just their second season in 2024 before following it with the first winning regular season in franchise history last summer. Now, another step forward appears to be taking shape.

The results speak for themselves. Middleton believes team unity drives them.

“I don't have one bad egg on this team,” Middleton said. “When we're not even on the field, they're all together.”