News & Notes: 2007 All-Star Game a smash-hit! Top 3 seeds solidifying...

The 2007 Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game at Ripken Stadium in Abderdeen, Maryland, was a huge success. Televised for the first time in league history by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, the game drew a league-record 2,406 fans. We’d like to extend special thanks to Bill Spencer, Bob Douglas, Alan Rifkin, Alex Thompson, and Anna Phelan of the Ripken, Sr. League; Chris Glass, Lori Mancini, Johnny Holliday, and Dave Johnson of MASN; and Amy Venuto, Blake Chronister, and Jason Vaughan of the Aberdeen Ironbirds. Most importantly, we’d like to thank the generosity of Peter Angelos and the Angelos Family; Steve Fader, Brian Williams and game-sponsor Mile One Automotive; and Cal and Bill Ripken. Without the support, financial contributions, and hard work of our sponsors and volunteers, the All-Star Game could not have had the success that it did. And, of course, thanks to the Ripken, Sr. League’s Boys of Summer for providing such an entertaining contest on the field. See the game highlights from the All-Star Game below!

No team was more than one game over or one game under .500 last week. The Maryland Redbirds made waves by knocking off each of the top three teams in the standings last week, and beat the first-place Youse’s Maryland Orioles twice (including Sunday July 15) in a stretch that included four wins in five games. But three straight losses to close out the week effectively locked the Redbirds into the seventh seed for the 2007 League Championship Series.

At the top of the standings, the Orioles have held onto shaky ground after the losses to the Redbirds. The Orioles went 4-3 on the week and hold a half game lead over the Bethesda Big Train for the first seed in the LCS. The Big Train leads the season series against the Orioles, 3-2, with a doubleheader left to play.

Meanwhile, the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts saw their bid for the third seed (and final bye) fade a bit as they dropped three of five games last week. They now sit three games back of the Rockville Express for the third seed.

Meet the 2007 CRSCBL Official Photographers!

Jackson (Orioles/VCU), Francis (Express/Buffalo) win weekly awards

Chris Jackson (Virginia Commonwealth University) of Youse’s Maryland Orioles was named the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League Hitter of the Week for the week of July 16 to July 22. The All-Star shortstop hit in six of seven games for the Orioles (10-for-29), including the final four games straight. Jackson had multiple hits in four of the seven games and his 10 total hits were tied for most in the league on the week. In back-to-back games against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts on July 19 and College Park Bombers on July 20, Jackson went a combined 4-for-11 with five RBI, four runs scored, two triples, and a home run. He scored a total of seven runs on the week and drove in another seven. He also collected two doubles. In Jackson’s only hitless game of the week against the Maryland Redbirds on July 18, he walked four times in five plate appearances. His .472 on-base percentage was a team-high. Jackson led the league with 19 total bases and slugged at a team-best .655 clip. He also finished with a steal in one attempt and was perfect in the field in 17 chances.

Dan Francis (University at Buffalo) of the Rockville Express has been named the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 16 to July 22. The righthander scattered five hits and a walk over eight innings in a win over the College Park Bombers on July 17. Francis allowed two unearned runs and struck out five batters. Opponents hit just .167 off of him, second lowest in the league among starters.
 

2007 All-Star Game Re-cap

With a league-record 2.406 fans on hand and many more watching on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, the West All-Stars provided much of the fireworks in the third annual Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game, Monday night at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland. The West All-Stars offense put up four runs in the second inning and their pitching staff combined to blank the East All-Stars, 6-0. Click here for the full story!

2007 CRSCBL Standings

On tap this week...

Thursday, July 26
Redbirds at T'Bolts, 7 pm
Braves at Big Train, 7:30 pm
Express at Bombers, 7:30 pm

Friday, July 27
Express at Braves, 5 pm (DH)
Orioles at Big Train, 5 pm (DH)
T'Bolts at Redbirds, 7 pm at Joe Cannon Stadium

Saturday, July 28
Big Train at Express, 1 pm (DH)
Braves at Redbirds, 2 pm at Joe Cannon Stadium
Orioles at T'Bolts, 7 pm

Sunday, July 29
Orioles at Braves, 1 pm
Redbirds at Express, 3 pm
T'Bolts at Bombers, 5 pm (DH)

Click here for directions to all CRSCBL fields