Summer College Ball: A Visit To The Bethesda Big Train

Jul 4, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; MLB baseballs and a glove sit on the field prior to the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Previously I had mentioned that I was planning on attending the three Baltimore area teams of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. And in that article I did a quick wrap-up of the Baltimore Redbirds who play out of Carlo Crispino Stadium at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson.

I still need to get out to see the Baltimore Dodgers who play at Joe Cannon Stadium near Arundel Mills Mall and Youses’s Orioles who play at Bachman Park in Glen Burnie.

I was recently able to attend another Cal Ripken League game down in Bethesda as the Bethesda Big Train took on the FCA Herndon Braves. The Braves are part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization.

The Bethesda Big Train play at Shirley Povich Stadium located in Cabin John Park near the Westfield Montgomery Mall. Povich was a longtime Washington Post sports writer, while the team’s name is a play on the nickname of legendary Washington Senators pitcher Walter “Big Train” Johnson.

The stadium does charge for admission, unlike the Redbirds, and holds 1500 people. The team runs the games like a minor league operation and has raffles, concession stands, between-innings games, and even two mascots for fans to enjoy. Attending a game here is a joy and should be experienced by any true baseball fan.

Both teams were stocked with players from large and small colleges such as Maryland, UNC Chapel Hill, Tulane, Cornell and even Harford Community College.