Malvasio, Singer Shine as Week 5 Players of the Week
Big Train outfielder Zachary Malvasio hit .400 with three homers while Giants hurler Owen Singer threw six shutout innings with four strikeouts.
By Ellie Rand
The fifth week of the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League featured another wave of individual standout performances as teams made their final push before the 2026 All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 7.
Bethesda Big Train right fielder Zachary Malvasio (UCF) powered the CRSCBL’s hottest offense to earn Week 5 Hitter of the Week, while Gaithersburg Giants left-hander Owen Singer (Marymount) delivered six scoreless innings to capture Pitcher of the Week honors.
Malvasio Fuels Big Train During Eight-Game Winning Streak
The Florida native continued to establish himself as one of the league’s premier power hitters, helping propel Bethesda’s eight-game winning streak heading into the All-Star Game, where Malvasio will have a chance to showcase his talent yet again.
The UCF outfielder hit .400 (6-for-15) over four games, driving in six runs while scoring five times. He collected five extra-base hits, including three home runs, and totaled 17 bases for a remarkable 1.133 slugging percentage.
Malvasio, who leads the CRSCBL with seven home runs this season, has been a driving force behind Bethesda’s climb to the top of the standings.
His most impressive offensive performance came on July 1 against the Olney Cropdusters.
Batting in the heart of the Big Train lineup, Malvasio finished 3-for-4 with two home runs, three runs batted in, and two runs scored.
He opened the scoring in the third inning by launching a two-run dinger to left field, giving Bethesda an early advantage. After Olney rallied to snatch the lead, Malvasio answered once again in the fifth, crushing a solo shot to left-center to even the game at three apiece and spark a four-run inning that propelled the Big Train to a 5-3 victory.
Malvasio remained productive throughout the rest of his red-hot week.
On June 29, against the Alexandria Aces, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI double before coming around to score later in the inning as Bethesda erased a four-run deficit.
The following night against Southern Maryland, Malvasio collected a hit, drew two walks, and scored in a 5-1 victory, reaching base three times and igniting another offensive explosion.
He capped off the week on July 3 with another clutch swing against Olney.
Trailing 1-0 entering the seventh inning, Malvasio notched a two-run bomb to give Bethesda its first lead of the night. The go-ahead blast proved to be the game-winning hit as the Big Train completed another comeback victory, taking over first place in the North Division.
Singer Shuts Down Thunderbolts in Scoreless Start
Owen Singer turned in the week’s top pitching performance, blanking the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts over six dominant innings to lead Gaithersburg to a 10-2 victory on June 29.
The Marymount left-hander threw six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out four and walking only two. He held opposing hitters to a .150 batting average, never allowing Silver Spring to generate sustained offensive pressure.
On the mound, Singer took control immediately.
After working around a first-inning single and walk, he stranded both runners by inducing a flyout to end the threat. He followed with a second perfect inning, striking out two batters and retiring the side in order.
The Thunderbolts threatened again in the third frame after a leadoff single and a walk put two runners aboard, but Singer escaped by forcing a ground-ball double play and recording an inning-ending groundout.
The Maryland native continued to cruise through the middle innings.
He erased a one-out single in the fourth by drawing another double play, then threw just nine pitches to retire the side in order during the fifth.
Singer finished his outing by working around a two-out error in the sixth, forcing a routine groundout to complete six scoreless innings before handing the ball to the bullpen.
His ability to keep an explosive offense off the scoreboard made Singer a standout performer in Week 5, breaking the Giants’ six-game losing streak and earning their first win since June 19.