The Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league located in the Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 and Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan areas. All players are from NCAA-sanctioned colleges and universities and have at least one year of NCAA eligibility remaining.

History

The CRCBL was founded in 2005. The league was named in honor of Cal Ripken, Sr.

Cal Ripken, Sr.

Calvin Edwin Ripken, Sr. was a coach and manager in Major League Baseball who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, also as a player and scout. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr...

 in recognition of his lifelong dedication "to helping young baseball players develop and reach their potential." Although the league is named in his honor, it is not associated with the Cal Ripken, Sr. foundation. In 2009 the league removed the "Sr." in the name to accommodate both Cal Ripken, Sr.

Cal Ripken, Sr.

Calvin Edwin Ripken, Sr. was a coach and manager in Major League Baseball who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, also as a player and scout. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr...

 and Cal Ripken, Jr.

Cal Ripken, Jr.

Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....

.

The league's founding teams were the Bethesda Big Train

Bethesda Big Train

The Bethesda Big Train are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field...

, College Park Bombers, Maryland Redbirds, Rockville Express

Rockville Express

The Rockville Express is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Rockville, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Express plays its home games at Knights Field on the campus of Montgomery...

, Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts

Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts

The Silver Spring–Takoma Thunderbolts is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Thunderbolts play their home games at Montgomery Blair Baseball...

, and Youse's Maryland Orioles

Youse's Maryland Orioles

Youse's Maryland Orioles are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Linthicum, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Maryland Orioles play their weekday home games at Bachman Park and weekend...

. The Herndon Braves joined in 2007 and the Alexandria Aces joined in 2008, expanding the league into Northern Virginia. In 2009, the Southern Maryland Nationals, formerly the "Southern Maryland Cardinals", joined the league for the 2010 season when it was announced that the College Park Bombers would not be competing in 2010 due to financial struggles. . Another name change occurred as the Maryland Redbirds changed their name to the "Baltimore Redbirds."

In 2007, CRCBL alumnus Joe Smith earned a spot on a major league roster, with the New York Mets

New York Mets

The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

.

In May 2009, Brett Cecil

Brett Cecil

Brett Aarion Cecil is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. Cecil was drafted as the 38th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Blue Jays...

, who pitched for the Thunderbolts in 2005, was called up by the Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....

. He was returned to the Class AAA Las Vegas 51s

Las Vegas 51s

The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...

 later in the month. However, he was recalled by the Blue Jays in mid June 2009 and finished the season in the Jays starting rotation, compiling a 7-4 record.

The 2008 MLB Draft saw 40 former or current players chosen. Some players drafted included former Big Train player Carlos Gutierrez, at 27th overall by the Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

. Three other players got drafted in the first three rounds: former Big Train player Evan Frederickson, at 35th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

, and two former players from the Youse's Orioles, Derrik Gibson in the 2nd round by the Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

, and LJ Hoes in the 3rd round by the Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...

.

In the 2009 MLB draft, 37 former Ripken Leaguers were chosen, with the highest being Ben Tootle in the 3rd round, by the Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

.

On July 15, 2009, the CRCBL took on the Valley Baseball League

Valley Baseball League

The Valley Baseball League is an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. Each Valley Baseball League season consists of 44 games played during summer. Many Valley Baseball League players have continued on to play in Major League Baseball.The...

, another collegiate wooden bat league based in Virginia, in the Mid-Atlantic Classic in Waldorf, Maryland

Waldorf, Maryland

Waldorf, Maryland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Charles County, Maryland, United States. It is south-southeast of Washington, D.C. The population of the census-designated area only was 67,752 at the 2010 census...

. Each side gathered a roster of All-Stars for the match. In the game, the Ripken League defeated the Valley League 2-1.

In the 2010 MLB Draft, 31 former Ripken Leaguers were chosen, with the highest being Jarrett Parker in the 2nd round, by the San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

Teams

Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League
Team	City	Stadium
Alexandria Aces	Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...	Four Mile Run Park
Baltimore Redbirds	Cockeysville, Maryland Cockeysville, Maryland Cockeysville is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 19,388 at the 2000 census.-History:...	Ripken Stadium Ripken Stadium Ripken Stadium is the home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in the New York-Penn League. The stadium is located in Aberdeen, Maryland. The 6,000-seat Ripken Stadium held its first game on June 18, 2002. The team has sold out every home game at Ripken Stadium...  Auxiliary Field, Calvert Hall High School
Bethesda Big Train Bethesda Big Train The Bethesda Big Train are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field...	Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...	Shirley Povich Field Shirley Povich Field Shirley Povich Field is a baseball stadium in Rockville, Maryland. It is the home field of the Georgetown University Hoyas college baseball team of the Division I Big East Conference. It is also the home field of the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, a...
College Park Bombers	College Park, Maryland College Park, Maryland College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...	Riverdale Baptist High School, Montgomery College-Germantown
Herndon Braves	Herndon, Virginia Herndon, Virginia Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...	Braves Field
Rockville Express Rockville Express The Rockville Express is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Rockville, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Express plays its home games at Knights Field on the campus of Montgomery...	Rockville, Maryland Rockville, Maryland Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...	Knights Field at Montgomery College Montgomery College Montgomery College is a public, open access community college located in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. in the United States. The college has three campuses, the largest of which is in Rockville; the other campuses are in Takoma Park/Silver Spring and Germantown... -Rockville
Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts The Silver Spring–Takoma Thunderbolts is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Thunderbolts play their home games at Montgomery Blair Baseball...	Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...	Blair Stadium
Southern Maryland Nationals	Hanover, Maryland Hanover, Maryland Hanover, Maryland is a locality in unincorporated northwestern Anne Arundel County, Maryland in the United States, located south of Baltimore near the Howard County line....	Joe Cannon Stadium, Regency Furniture Stadium Regency Furniture Stadium Regency Furniture Stadium is a 4,200-seat baseball park in Waldorf, Maryland that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 2, 2008, as the tenants of the facility, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers, 3-2. For the 2010 baseball season, the collegiate...
Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Linthicum, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Maryland Orioles play their weekday home games at Bachman Park and weekend...	Linthicum, Maryland Linthicum, Maryland Linthicum is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,539 at the 2000 census. It is the approximate location of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport...	Bachman Park, Calvert Hall High School

Ballparks

Ballpark	Team
Bachman Park	Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Linthicum, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Maryland Orioles play their weekday home games at Bachman Park and weekend...
Blair Stadium	Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts The Silver Spring–Takoma Thunderbolts is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Thunderbolts play their home games at Montgomery Blair Baseball...
Braves Field	Herndon Braves
Calvert Hall High School	Baltimore Redbirds, Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Linthicum, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Maryland Orioles play their weekday home games at Bachman Park and weekend...
Four Mile Run Park	Alexandria Aces Alexandria Aces This article is about the Alexandria Aces of the Texas Collegiate League, who are based in Alexandria, LA. For the Alexandria Aces of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, see Alexandria Aces ...
Joe Cannon Stadium	Southern Maryland Nationals
Knights Field	Rockville Express Rockville Express The Rockville Express is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Rockville, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Express plays its home games at Knights Field on the campus of Montgomery...
Regency Furniture Stadium Regency Furniture Stadium Regency Furniture Stadium is a 4,200-seat baseball park in Waldorf, Maryland that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 2, 2008, as the tenants of the facility, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers, 3-2. For the 2010 baseball season, the collegiate...	Southern Maryland Nationals
Ripken Stadium Ripken Stadium Ripken Stadium is the home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in the New York-Penn League. The stadium is located in Aberdeen, Maryland. The 6,000-seat Ripken Stadium held its first game on June 18, 2002. The team has sold out every home game at Ripken Stadium...	Baltimore Redbirds
Shipley Field Shipley Field Shipley Field is a baseball stadium in College Park, Maryland. It has served as the home field of the Maryland Terrapins baseball team at the University of Maryland since 1965. Shipley Field was formerly the home of the College Park Bombers of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League. The...	College Park Bombers
Shirley Povich Field Shirley Povich Field Shirley Povich Field is a baseball stadium in Rockville, Maryland. It is the home field of the Georgetown University Hoyas college baseball team of the Division I Big East Conference. It is also the home field of the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, a...	Bethesda Big Train Bethesda Big Train The Bethesda Big Train are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field...

Past champions

Season	League Champion	Regular Season Champion
2005	Bethesda Big Train Bethesda Big Train The Bethesda Big Train are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field... , Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts The Silver Spring–Takoma Thunderbolts is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Thunderbolts play their home games at Montgomery Blair Baseball...  (co-champions)]	Bethesda Big Train Bethesda Big Train The Bethesda Big Train are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field...
2006	Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts The Silver Spring–Takoma Thunderbolts is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Thunderbolts play their home games at Montgomery Blair Baseball...	Bethesda Big Train Bethesda Big Train The Bethesda Big Train are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field...
2007	Rockville Express Rockville Express The Rockville Express is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Rockville, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Express plays its home games at Knights Field on the campus of Montgomery...	Rockville Express Rockville Express The Rockville Express is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Rockville, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Express plays its home games at Knights Field on the campus of Montgomery... , Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Linthicum, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Maryland Orioles play their weekday home games at Bachman Park and weekend...  (Tie)
2008	Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Linthicum, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Maryland Orioles play their weekday home games at Bachman Park and weekend...	Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles Youse's Maryland Orioles are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Linthicum, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League . The Maryland Orioles play their weekday home games at Bachman Park and weekend...
2009	Bethesda Big Train Bethesda Big Train The Bethesda Big Train are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field...	Bethesda Big Train Bethesda Big Train The Bethesda Big Train are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League . The Big Train plays its home games at Shirley Povich Field...

Noted alumni

• Brett Cecil
  Brett Cecil
  Brett Aarion Cecil is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. Cecil was drafted as the 38th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Blue Jays...
  
  , 2005 Thunderbolts
• Carlos Gutierrez, 2005 Big Train
• Joe Smith , 2005 Express