Cal Ripken Collegiate League Begins Play

The Cal Ripken Collegiate League began their 2014 season recently. This is a collegiate summer baseball league whose players have at least one year of NCAA eligibility left. The league’s teams are often structured similar to minor league baseball organizations and offer a good value for fans.

The league was founded in 2005 and honors Cal Ripken, Sr.

Current teams are the Bethesda Big Train, Alexandria Aces, Baltimore Redbirds, Herndon Braves, Gaithersburg Giants, Rockville Express, Vienna River Dogs, D.C. Grays, Silver Spring Takoma T Bolts, Baltimore Dodgers and Youse’s Orioles.

Three of the teams are based out of the Baltimore area. The Baltimore Redbirds play at Carlo Crispino Stadium at Calvert Hall High School. The Baltimore Dodgers play at Joe Cannon Stadium near Arundel Mills Mall. And Youses’s Orioles plays at Bachman Park in Glen Burnie.

The DC-based teams play in some interesting facilities as well. The Alexandria Aces play in a small park near National Airport, while the Bethesda Big Train share their Bethesda park, Shirley Povich Field, with Georgetown University. And the D.C. Grays recently moved to the impressive Washington Nationals Youth Academy in Southeast DC.

The wooden bat league plays regular season games until early August. Some teams do charge admission. Check out game schedules at their website.