Coombs, Jones Earn Week 3 Player of the Week Honors Behind Dominant Performances

By Ellie Rand

The third week of the 2026 Cal Ripken Sr. The Collegiate Baseball League season featured explosive offense and dominant pitching across the league, but Southern Maryland Senators' center fielder Bud Coombs (Vanderbilt) and Olney Cropdusters' right-hander Ben Jones (West Chester) separated themselves from the rest.

Coombs earned Hitter of the Week honors after leading one of the league’s most productive offenses, while Jones claimed Pitcher of the Week recognition following a pair of scoreless appearances.

Coombs Fuels Senators’ Offensive Surge

Few hitters in the CRSCBL have been as efficient as Coombs this summer, and the recently-committed Vanderbilt outfielder elevated his game even further during Week 3.

Coombs hit .545 (12-for-22) across six games, collecting 12 hits, 16 RBIs, four home runs, and 24 total bases, posting a staggering 1.091 slugging percentage along with a .688 on-base percentage.

The sensational week helped power a Southern Maryland offense that exploded for 90 runs during the week and guided the Senators to a 7-3 record over their last 10 games.

The Maryland native’s remarkable week only strengthened what has already been one of the league’s best seasons. Through eight games, Coombs leads the CRSCBL in batting average at .552, on-base percentage (.683), and slugging percentage (.966), establishing himself as an offensive threat.

One of his most impressive performances came on June 16 against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts.

Trailing by five runs in the fourth inning, Southern Maryland desperately needed a spark. Coombs delivered exactly that, launching a grand slam that brought the Senators within a run. 

The center fielder finished the contest 2-for-5 with four RBIs as the Senators completed the comeback and secured a dramatic 7-6 victory.

Two days later, against the Bethesda Big Train, Coombs delivered another game-changing performance.

After reaching base five times and scoring three runs, he blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning to continue the Senators’ rally. Later, during a massive nine-run seventh inning, Coombs added a two-run single that helped turn the close contest into an eventual 18-9 victory.

He ended the night 2-for-3 with three RBIs, three runs scored, and three walks while reaching base in five of his six plate appearances.

Coombs remained a constant presence in the lineup the following evening against the Alexandria Aces.

Leading off the Senators’ offense, he scored three runs and reached base three times as Southern Maryland erupted for 19 runs. After drawing a first-inning walk, he crossed the plate on Kai Lwin’s (Florida Atlantic) two-run double to ignite an early offensive barrage. He later singled and scored again during a three-run second inning before coming around to score once more during another offensive outburst in the fourth.

By the end of the week, Coombs was the centerpiece of one of the hottest offenses in the league. 

Jones Dominates Across Two Scoreless Appearances

Ben Jones turned in one of the most impressive pitching weeks of the season, shutting down opposing hitters over eight scoreless innings while helping Olney continue its climb up the standings.

The West Chester right-hander finished the week 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA across two showings. He only allowed three hits, struck out nine batters, walked two, and held opponents to just a .111 batting average.

His efforts helped fuel an Olney club that went 8-2 over its last 10 games.

Jones first took the mound on June 16 against the Alexandria Aces and immediately settled into the driver’s seat.

Entering in relief after four scoreless innings from starter Landon Edwards (Maryland), Jones delivered three stellar innings to close out the victory. He surrendered just one hit while striking out six of the 10 batters he faced.

The Pennsylvania native retired the side in order during the fifth inning, striking out two batters. An inning later, he struck out two more, working around a two-out single. Jones then closed out the outing by striking out another pair of hitters in a perfect seventh inning.

Five days later, Jones delivered another exceptional outing against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts.

After entering in the third inning, he tossed five scoreless frames while allowing only two hits and striking out three.

One of his biggest challenges came in the sixth inning when the Thunderbolts placed runners on first and second with two outs. Jones remained composed, inducing a fielder’s choice to preserve the shutout.

He continued to attack the strike zone throughout the outing, retiring seven consecutive hitters between the sixth and seventh innings and preventing the Thunderbolts from generating any sustained offense.

By the time Jones exited after five innings, he had allowed just two hits and kept the T-Bolts off the scoreboard entirely. His performance helped secure a 14-0 victory and capped off a week in which he proved nearly unhittable.

Jones’ ability to deliver in both relief showings made him the league’s most effective pitcher during Week 3.