By Terron Hampton
The Gazette
www.gazette.net

July 26, 2007

Monday night’s Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League All-Star game was one of the league’s finest in its history.

Played at Cal Ripken Sr. Stadium in Aberdeen, home of the Baltimore Orioles’ Class A affiliate, the Aberdeen IronBirds, the event drew 2,406 fans, its biggest turnout ever, and was broadcast live on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).

Eight College Park Bombers’ made the East team roster and all were impressed with the way the event was coordinated.

‘‘It was just a great experience,” said Bombers’ infielder Corey Todhunter, who played the final four innings, going 0 for 2 and reaching base on an error. ‘‘We played on a minor league field and it felt like we were playing in a professional atmosphere. It was one chance I got in a lifetime and it was just a fun experience.”

Todhunter (Mesa State), in his first year in the league, said he was grateful to receive the honor. His Bombers’ teammate, Jimmy Britton (St. Boneventure), made the league all-star game for the second consecutive season and noticed a substantial improvement from last season’s game, which was played at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda.

‘‘The main difference was the facility,” Britton said. ‘‘Last year at Bethesda, while it is a nice park, it wasn’t very big. Just the amount of fans there made a huge difference. I think it was just a lot more fun this year because [the organizers] put in a lot more work. It was probably one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time.”

‘‘Obviously, it’s a big jump going from Povich Field in Bethesda,” said Ripken League Executive Alex Thompson. ‘‘We knew we would need a lot more work in promoting and raising awareness for the league and showing what we’re all about. We got a fantastic effort from those involved.”

Although Cal Ripken Sr. Stadium holds only 5,000, Thompson said league executives gave away 10,000 tickets, hoping that ‘‘a fraction” of those that received the free tickets would attend. Thompson said several members on the league’s board of directors had connections with MASN, making it possible for the game to be televised.

One Bombers’ all-star that was particularly impressive was pitcher Jack Amidei (Mesa State). Amidei entered the game in the fifth inning and struck out two batters without yielding a run. Bombers’ coach Gene Bovello said various scouts inquired about Amidei, who was tossing out pitches in the 90 mile per hour range.

Bombers’ outfielder K.C. Warden’s family came from Columbus, Ohio to see him play in the game.

‘‘It was pretty much unbelievable,” said Warden (Ohio Dominican). ‘‘The whole display they put on was fantastic. Being selected to the all-star team in my first year really means a lot considering the amount of talent that’s in this league and everybody saying that this is a really talented year in the league.”

The Bombers were 15-22 and in sixth place out of seven teams in the league entering play this week. The Bombers began their stretch run Wednesday after The Gazette went to press when they faced the Bethesda Big Train, who the Bombers had beaten six times in seven meetings prior to Wednesday. The team has a 7:30 p.m. home game today at Shipley Field against the Rockville Express and will be at home again Sunday for a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts.

The league playoffs begin with an opening-round single-elimination bracket Tuesday with the team that finished the regular season in fifth-place hosting the sixth-place squad and the seventh-place team facing the fourth-place team.

It appears the Bombers will most likely take on the Herndon Braves (18-19) at Shipley Field on Tuesday in the 5-6 matchup, while the Maryland Redbirds and Silver Spring-Takoma will most likely meet in the other opening-round game scheduled for 2 p.m. at Knights Field at Montgomery Community College-Rockville. The winners of those contests will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Shipley Field to determine which team will make it into the four-team double-elimination tournament. The top three teams in the standings get into the double-elimination phase automatically.

Copyright 2007. The Gazette.