From College Park to the Big Leagues, Ohringer Brings a Wealth of Knowledge to Povich Field

By Jackson Lynch

“I’ve been in locker rooms since I was crawling.”

For Derek Ohringer, that is not an exaggeration.

Sports was a part of his daily life long before he worked in Major League Baseball, helped coordinate one of the nation’s most successful college baseball programs, or, most recently, became the Bethesda Big Train’s Director of Operations.

Ohringer grew up around the University of Maryland athletics department. His father, Ron Ohringer, spent more than four decades working for the Terrapins, including as the head equipment manager for the football program. Ohringer said watching his father taught him the work ethic required to succeed in sports.

From an early age, Ohringer was exposed to the work that happens behind the scenes to keep athletic programs running. Being around locker rooms and athletic programs quickly became second nature.

“It feels like home, it feels natural,” Ohringer said.

One of the most memorable and unique experiences in Ohringer’s baseball journey came in 2019 when he served as a bat boy for the Washington Nationals during their World Series season. For a lifelong Nationals fan, it was a dream opportunity.

“That was my childhood team,” Ohringer said. “Now it was my coworkers, now it was the team that I was a part of, now it was the clubhouse that I helped keep organized. That was really special.”

Beyond the excitement of a championship season, Ohringer was able to learn from a high-level professional organization and see firsthand what a winning clubhouse looked like.

“I think it really set the standard for what success looks like,” Ohringer said.

While the 2019 World Series run gave Ohringer an early look at a championship organization, his baseball journey was just getting started.

He attended the University of Maryland, where he earned a journalism degree and became heavily involved with the baseball program. As the Terrapins’ head student manager and operations intern, Ohringer was part of a program that won back-to-back Big Ten championships in 2022 and 2023.

After graduating from Maryland having continued his family’s legacy at the university, Ohringer added to his experience in professional baseball. He worked in the Arizona Fall League as a team operations coordinator before taking on a role in the Nationals’ visiting clubhouse.

The numerous environments exposed him to a variety of approaches and perspectives across the sport.

“Different leagues, different teams and different organizations do things differently. It really opened my eyes to the good, the bad, the ugly, the cool, the uncool,” Ohringer said.

In August 2024, Ohringer returned to his alma mater as Maryland baseball’s Director of Operations, working under Head Coach and Big Train alum Matt Swope. In that position, he coordinated logistics for players and staff, worked with departments across the athletic program and helped organize recruiting visits and fundraising events.

“That job taught me how to be an adult,” Ohringer said.

The position required organization, communication and problem-solving on a daily basis. It also gave Ohringer experience managing responsibilities across a wide range of areas, preparation that now carries into his role in Bethesda.

Ohringer is preparing for his first season with the Big Train after being hired in February as the organization’s Director of Operations.

The opportunity also carries a personal connection. Long before he joined the organization, Ohringer grew up playing at the Big Train’s Shirley Povich Field as a youth baseball player.

He joins a program that has won 12 Cal Ripken Sr. League championships and sent roughly two dozen alumni to the major leagues.

“I’m a baseball rat,” Ohringer said. “I wanted to be around baseball. I wanted to work for a team.”

The Big Train have been a powerhouse for decades, winning more than two-thirds of their regular season games and producing 243 professional players.

But while Ohringer appreciates the organization’s winning tradition, he said the people, the fans and the community matter most to him. He felt drawn to a program known not only for winning, but also for the impact it has off the field. For example, the organization honors local nonprofits and community leaders at every home game, supports youth baseball initiatives throughout the region and regularly participates in volunteer service projects across Montgomery County.

That combination of baseball excellence and community impact made the opportunity stand out.

“The community side of baseball is the most enriching thing I can be a part of,” Ohringer said.

He wants Shirley Povich Field to be a place where families make memories, volunteers feel appreciated and fans feel connected to the Big Train.

“Having an impact on fans, having an impact on this community, having an impact on what the experience at the ballpark is ... that’s what it’s about for me,” Ohringer said.

Fortunately for Ohringer, he is joining an organization with a long-established culture and tradition.

“It’s not even a blank canvas, it’s already been painted, and I’m just kind of adding some details,” Ohringer said.

Those details often make the difference between a good experience and a truly memorable one. Whether it is music between innings, fan promotions, community events or the overall atmosphere around the ballpark, Ohringer wants every part of the experience to feel special.

“I want people to leave the park with smiles on their faces,” Ohringer said.

As his first season with the Big Train begins, Ohringer brings with him lessons from championship teams, professional baseball clubhouses and years spent around the sport.

But at the center of it all, his passion for baseball fuels his work.

“If you view it as a job, you’re going to fail,” Ohringer said. “You have to view it as a lifestyle.”