NEWS

Jeffery Heard bats for the Big Train. His league-best four homers and 27 RBIs have been a driving force in Bethesda's potent offense this summer. Photo by Peter Li, Bethesda Big Train. 

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By Brandon Schwartzberg

The Bethesda Big Train have been one of the best teams in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League throughout the first month of the campaign, entering June 28 just one game behind the Cropdusters in the North Division standings.

Manager Sal Colangelo’s squad hosts the best offense in the league by a wide margin, ranking first in runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and batting average.

The Big Train have put up explosive offensive outputs this season that no other team has come close to matching. Bethesda is averaging 9.2 runs per game, and have crossed the 20-run threshold twice (21 runs against the Thunderbolts on June 4, and 26 runs against the Giants on June 13). Throw in their 15-run output against the Grays on June 11, and they’ve got three out of the five highest scoring performances across the league this season.

“Trying to work on taking really quality at bats, really watching some of the pitcher tendencies, studying some of the data that we have, really trying to redefine our hitter’s weaknesses … and really see the ball down,” Colangelo said.

Bethesda’s offense doesn’t rely on one guy to get the job done. Rather, it uses a collective of options in its lineup. Among batters with at least 30 plate appearances, five hold an OPS at .900 or higher. At least two Big Train hitters rank inside the top five among all league players in runs batted in, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

While Colangelo has many options at his disposal, there are a pair of batters that stand out the most.

Jeffery Heard (Sacramento State) shined out west this past spring, slugging 12 home runs alongside a .292 batting average en route to a .967 OPS for the Hornets. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound lefty slugger has looked even better for Bethesda, blasting four home runs — tied for the league-lead — and notching 27 RBIs. Heard’s 1.116 OPS is the highest among league batters with at least 30 plate appearances.

“I’m just trying to keep it simple, not trying to do too much at the plate,” Heard said. “Just get the bat head out in front, try to get a good pitch to hit and hopefully good things happen. So far they have.”

Heard has been a threat on a day-in, day-out basis for the Big Train. The rising junior has reached base in 16 out of his 17 games played, scoring a run in nine of them. He has already notched five outings with at least three RBIs — including a pair of five-RBI games.

“He’s fearless. His ability to hit the ball all over the park,” Colangelo said. “He’s got power gap-to-gap, swings the bat very well … just his ability to hit with runners in scoring position, hit with two outs and his ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark, something we haven’t had in a year or so. He’s a five-tool guy who can let it rip.”

While Heard headlines Bethesda’s pop, Dixon Williams (East Carolina) has simply been a hitting machine at the top of the lineup. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound infielder ranks top three on the Big Train in batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.509), hits (19) and runs batted in (15).

Williams’ hits, slugging percentage and RBIs are top-three among all league batters.

“I think everyone’s just competing really hard in the box,” outfielder Jacob Orr (University of Maryland) said. “No one’s going up there and [has] looked outclassed by the pitcher. I think everyone’s going out there knowing that they have the advantage and they’re just taking what the pitcher gives them.”

Orr has been a bright spot in limited opportunities, ranking fourth on the Big Train in runs batted in (10) in only 25 at bats. That includes a monster six-RBI night against the Giants on June 13.

Theodore Ruffner (UNC Wilmington) holds one of the best eyes on the club. The 5-foot-9 righty bat has drawn 13 walks — tied for second-most of any Bethesda hitter — including a string of seven-straight games with at least one free pass.

Carter Cunningham (East Carolina), who didn’t play his first game until June 14, has raked in a limited sample size. He ranks fourth on the Big Train in OPS and has already smashed one home run and walked seven times.

There’s no weakness in Bethesda’s lineup. The Big Train have scored more than four runs in all but three of their games this season. Still, they’re not content.

“We’re not satisfied with six. We get six, we want 12,” Colangelo said. “... Winning comes with playing the game the right way, doing the little things; catching it, throwing it, throwing strikes and executing the fundamentals. That’s really been our goal this summer.”