Two Decades Later, Hall of Famer Adkins Returns to Bethesda as a Coach

By Ellie Rand

Two decades after making the 14-hour drive from his hometown of Nettleton, Mississippi, to Bethesda, Maryland, with nothing more than a printed MapQuest, Luke Adkins still speaks about his three seasons at Shirley Povich Field with the same emotion he felt walking off the field after winning his final championship with the team in 2009.

This summer, the former Big Train star outfielder has returned to Bethesda, now as an assistant coach helping shape the next generation of players.

"For him to come all the way from Mississippi just to give back to these players is unbelievable," Big Train Head Coach and General Manager Sal Colangelo said. "It's awesome."

Adkins played for the Big Train in 2006, 2008, and 2009, establishing himself as one of the greatest players in franchise history. 

“It turned out to be three of the most memorable summers of my life,” he said.

A three-time All-League selection, he led Bethesda to league championships in 2006 and 2009 and was inducted into the Cal Ripken Sr. League Hall of Fame in 2021.

"Luke always told me, 'Coach, don't worry—we've got this," Colangelo recalled. "It didn't matter if we were down. He believed we'd come back. He wanted to play the game hard while having fun. If he said he was going to get a hit, he did."

Adkins’ final season (2009) with the Big Train cemented his legacy.

He earned the team’s Most Valuable Player Award that year after leading the Ripken League with a .380 batting average, collecting 52 hits and 37 RBIs. He helped power Bethesda to a 34-10 record, one of the best seasons in franchise history, as the Big Train ranked No. 9 nationally among summer collegiate baseball teams.

Throughout his career with Bethesda, Adkins notched 188 total bases, including 28 doubles and seven triples, while earning All-League honors every season. He was also named Big Train’s Most Outstanding Hitter his first summer with the club in 2006.

“Traveling 14 hours from home at 18 years old was a daring challenge,” Adkins explained. “I arrived before anyone else,” he recalled. “Sal greeted me, introduced me to everyone, gave me my jerseys, and plugged me into the starting lineup.” 

Colangelo made an immediate impression on the young outfielder, beginning a relationship that has lasted over twenty years.

Adkins’ collegiate career was just as noteworthy as his Big Train legacy.

He starred at Southern Mississippi, where he earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honors in 2006 after hitting .286 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs as a freshman and hit .303 as a sophomore. After two years there, he transferred to Mississippi State.

Following a redshirt season, he appeared in 48 games for the Bulldogs in 2009, totaling 39 hits, 21 RBIs, and three home runs across 30 starts in left field. Between his career at Southern Miss and Mississippi State, Adkins finished with a .301 batting average, 199 hits, and 124 RBIs.

Like many elite college players, Adkins dreamed of playing Major League Baseball.

“That was the ultimate goal,” he said. “It was all I wanted to do.”

Following the 2010 MLB Draft, several ball clubs showed interest. Adkins even signed paperwork with the Pittsburgh Pirates before the opportunity ultimately fell through.

While he never reached the major leagues, his career was far from over.

Today, Adkins is an assistant coach at West Point High School in Mississippi, as well as returning to Bethesda as an assistant coach.

Colangelo said bringing a team legend back to the Big Train dugout has immediately benefited the current roster.

"Anytime you bring in a Hall of Famer who wore the same uniform these guys wear today, you earn a lot of respect right away," Colangelo said. "His knowledge, passion for the game and the way he teaches—it shows. You can see the difference he makes.”

When Adkins first approached him about returning to Bethesda as a coach, Colangelo admitted he was surprised.

"I thought he was kidding," Colangelo said. "But it's been an absolute blessing. He's an educator first, a great person, and I couldn't be happier to have him back."

Adkins explained that as a player, he wanted to show up every day and wanted to be the guy at the plate with the game on the line. As a coach, Adkins seeks to “impact the next wave of players and make their experience memorable.”

Colangelo believes Adkins' experience allows him to connect with players in a unique way. 

"He shows players real-life examples of what works. He understands the game at a high level, and if he sees something in a hitter's swing, he already has a solution,” Colgangelo said. “That's invaluable."

One of those players Adkins has impacted is current Big Train standout and two-time CRSCBL All-Star Brennon Wright (South Alabama), whom Adkins coached in high school before reuniting with him this summer in Bethesda. 

Adkins has been his mentor for nearly eight years, Wright explained. "He's helped me with baseball, but also with many life experiences. He's been a second father to me." 

Colangelo said watching Adkins and Wright reunite this summer has been one of the highlights of the season.

"You don't see deep relationships like that very often. There's a tremendous amount of respect between them,” Colangelo said.

Wright said his player-first mentality is one of the many reasons Adkins has had such a lasting impact on him.

"What sets him apart is the relationships he builds with players," Wright said. "He cares for every kid he coaches and treats them like they're his own."

Those relationships have made returning to Bethesda together especially meaningful. After years of hearing Adkins' stories about his Big Train playing days, Wright is now experiencing the same clubhouse, field, and traditions alongside the coach who first introduced him to the program.

"This experience has been nothing short of amazing," Wright explained. "He told me stories about Bethesda when I was growing up…this place means the world to him, and to create memories in our second home is something I'll never forget."

Returning to Bethesda has also allowed Adkins to reunite with one of the most influential figures in his baseball career: Sal Colangelo.

“Sal is the GOAT of the Ripken Sr. League,” Adkins said. “Over time, certain coaches become more than a coach or friend. They become family. Sal is family.”

That sense of family is what Adkins says separates the Big Train from every other stop in his career.

He still keeps in touch with former Big Train teammates through group texts, phone calls, and visits across the country. 

“We have different careers now, wives, and kids,” Adkins said. “But we all remember those summers when we just played for each other and for the love of the game.”

His favorite memory remains the 2009 championship.

With the Big Train leading late in the title game, Colangelo made defensive substitutions, allowing longtime players to receive one final ovation as they walked off the field.

“While jogging off the field, I started sobbing. Sal and I shared a big hug. It was the end of a great chapter of my life,” Adkins said.

When Adkins was inducted into the Cal Ripken Sr. League Hall of Fame in 2021, the honor reaffirmed everything those summers had meant.

“I couldn’t feel more privileged,” Adkins said. “To be honored alongside many great players will always be one of the greatest accomplishments of my career.”

Now raising three sons and continuing to coach baseball in Mississippi, Adkins spends much of his life at the ballpark. Yet no matter where the game takes him, Bethesda remains special.

“Once you’re in the Big Train family, you’re always welcome,” he said.