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Power Rankings: July 2
Story by Taylor Bretl | Photo by Brandon Lauchnor
Each Tuesday throughout the season, the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League will release power rankings of the top three teams.
Through four weeks of play, here are the CRSCBL staff’s consensus top teams.
1. Alexandria Aces (18-7, 1st in South)
Earning the No. 2 spot in last week's power rankings, a 5-1 stretch elevated the Aces above the Giants, slotting them into the No. 1 spot. The one loss on the week came in a one-run contest against the D.C. Grays, 5-4. Within the five wins, Alexandria outscored their opponents 55-29. In a matchup with the Silver Spring Takoma Thunderbolts on June 27th, the Aces scored a league-high 21 runs.
Four Aces batters hit over .300 on the week, but Kevin Milewski (Seton Hall) and Ethan Plyler (College of Charleston) took the headlines with their dominant week. Milewski slashed .500/.556/1.143 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. His .500 batting average totalled the highest across the league over the past week. Plyler hit .444, driving in eight runs as well. On the bump, John Downing (Seton Hall) shined out of the bullpen. Over his 5.1 innings pitched, Downing allowed no runs and two hits, while striking out ten.
2. Gaithersburg Giants (16-9, 1st in North)
The Gaithersburg Giants dropped to the No. 2 in the rankings following a 3-3 week. Despite the .500 week, two of the Giants losses were by one run, emphasizing how even in losses, the Giants make a competitive fight.
In their three wins, the Giant's arms were strong, only giving up an average of 3.33 runs per game. Ashton Chronister (Xavier), Jai Sample (Central Florida), and Patrick Bauer (Frostburg State) each allowed no runs on the week. The three arms struck out a combined 12 batters in 14.2 innings, allowing only six hits.
3. Bethesda Big Train (12-13, 2nd in North)
The Bethesda Big Train surpassed the D.C. Grays to move into the top three following a 3-3 week. In their three wins, the Big Train dominated – averaging 11.33 runs per game, with an average margin of victory of 8 runs per game.
The dominant hitting came from multiple Bethesda batters, with Andrew Williamson (Central Florida) leading the Big Train in production like he has been all season long. The left-hander slashed a powerful .308/.357/1.088 while totaling 3 home runs and 8 RBI.
Other batters contributing to the strong offensive mix include Emilio Gonzalez (Florida Atlantic), Christopher Diaz (Tulane), Jordan Crosland (Maryland), Kenan Bowman (East Carolina), and Jaden Bastian (Jacksonville), all totaling a batting average over .315 for the week.
The consistency across their starting nine is why the Big Train earned the No.3 spot this week, and why they could stick around in the near future.
Previous Power Rankings
