The Big Train enter 2024 coming off their sixth Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League championship in the last seven seasons. Since Bethesda’s first season in 1999, it has won 10 Cal Ripken Sr. League titles and one Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League championship.
The Big Train are led by Manager Sal Colangelo, returning for his 20th season as the club’s skipper. Since taking charge in 2005, Colangelo has led Bethesda to a winning season every summer.
Bethesda returns many coaches from its strong 2023 campaign. Of those, Craig Lopez will come back as the pitching coach. Last season, under Lopez’s oversight, the Big Train’s pitching staff was an important piece to their championship run. Right-handed pitcher Brandon Cassedy (Christopher Newport) won the Cal Ripken’s Sr, League Pitcher of the Year Award last year and will return for a second summer under Lopez and Colangelo.
“If anyone better can teach somebody life lessons through baseball, it's (Lopez),” Colangelo said. “What he does and his motivation and his energy that he brings to the table is just second to none.”
Galvin Morris will serve as associate head coach and former MLB pitcher Chad Smith will join as the bullpen coach. Smith played for the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics, last pitching in 2015. Bob O'Conor, Chris Devlin, and Joe McIntyre round out the pitching staff.
Bethesda, historically one of the top teams in the league, brings in a roster with 32 Division I players in 2024.
After a brilliant summer in 2023, Cassedy continued to dominate this spring for Christopher Newport. As a sophomore, Cassedy fired 77 innings with 110 strikeouts and a 3.62 ERA to be named a Division III College Baseball first-team all-region selection. He will lead the Big Train’s staff in 2024.
“(Cassedy) is a bulldog,” Colangelo said. “He wants to get out there and he wants to compete and give the team a chance to win every day he steps on the mound.”
Bethesda’s bullpen carried it to many wins in 2023, and a couple key arms will return this summer. Max Martzolf (Florida Atlantic) came in as relief late in the championship series to lead the Big Train to the title. Martzolf was named Bethesda's reliever of the year in 2023 by Colangelo.
Joining Martzolf is Jack Robinson (Roanoke), who returns to the Big Train after posting a 3.95 ERA this spring. Will Clements (Tulane), who is a “shut it down” reliever per Colangelo, joins the Big Train for his first summer in the CRSCBL.
In charge of managing the pitching staff from behind the plate is Nick DeLisi (Jacksonville). This spring, DeLisi posted a .341 OBP and tallied 14 RBI. DeLisi pairs his bat with his strong ability to call pitches, Colangelo said.
The Big Train infield will be led by Jack Guerrero (James Madison), a corner infielder and designated hitter. He was named to the 2023 All-Cal Ripken Sr. League Second Team a year ago.
Jordan Crosland (Maryland) will join Guerrero in the infield mix, coming off a strong freshman season for the Terrapins. Across 29 games, Crosland made 15 starts and hit .250 with three home runs.
“Jordan is a very dynamic, very twitchy type of athlete,” Colangelo said. “I'm very excited to see what he brings to the table.”
Finally, look for outfielder Andrew Williamson (Central Florida) to do some damage to opposing pitchers. This spring as a freshman, Williamson blasted four home runs and drove in 23 runs with a .262 AVG.
The Big Train open their season at home on Saturday against the Gaithersburg Giants.
