Cropdusters Dethrone the Big Train to Win Their First Championship in Franchise History!

By Dylan Lewis, Cropdusters Social Media Assistant

For five summers, the Olney community dreamed of this moment.

Now it's reality.

The Olney Cropdusters are champions of the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League.

After an unforgettable championship series, the Cropdusters captured the 2026 CRSCBL title Friday night with an emphatic 11-3 victory over the Bethesda Big Train, completing the greatest season in franchise history.

Highlighted by home runs from University of New Mexico teammates Giuseppe Salvatore and David Hernandez, the Cropdusters delivered one of their most complete performances of the season when it mattered most.

More importantly, the championship was the result of a true team effort.

Eight different Cropdusters drove in a run, while three pitchers combined to hold one of the league's most dangerous offenses to just three runs. Kyle Rogers set the tone with six outstanding innings before Mac Crismond electrified a packed First Responder Field by striking out the side in the ninth inning, touching off a celebration years in the making and securing the first league championship in the Cropdusters' five-season history.

Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment came against one of the Ripken League's premier offensive clubs.

Entering the Finals, Bethesda featured one of the league's top batting averages along with more than 25 home runs during the season. Throughout the three-game championship series, however, the Cropdusters consistently rose to the occasion. Bethesda averaged just over five runs per game, while Olney scored at least five runs in every contest. Timely hitting, outstanding pitching and complete team baseball carried the Cropdusters to the championship.

The road to the title wasn't easy.

Wednesday night's opener produced one of the most dramatic games of the season. Trailing 5-0 into the middle innings, the Cropdusters battled all the way back to tie the game at 5-5 before Bethesda edged ahead with an RBI single in the tenth inning to claim a 6-5 victory.

Facing elimination Thursday night, the Cropdusters responded exactly as champions do.

Olney jumped out to an early lead by scoring three runs in the opening inning and never looked back, rolling to a commanding 15-7 victory to even the series. Ross Lindsey and Ben Jones combined for seven critical innings, preserving the pitching staff for Friday night's decisive Game 3, while Zach Harris closed out the final two innings. The offense exploded for 15 runs, with seven different players recording an RBI and Cade Walter leading the way with three.

That set the stage for Friday night.

As the final strike settled into the catcher's glove, players poured from the dugout and sprinted toward the mound, celebrating the greatest moment in franchise history.

As the trophy was presented to head coach Adam Leader, the team cheered and pointed toward the stands filled with their faithful supporters.

That's where the true trophy lies.

Since joining the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League in 2022, the Cropdusters have been embraced by a community unlike any other. The fans who packed First Responder Field all season, the host families who opened their homes, the volunteers who gave countless hours, the sponsors who believed in the organization, and everyone who proudly wore Cropdusters colors helped build something truly special.

This championship belongs to the entire Olney community.

The Cropdusters finish the 2026 season with a 26-12 regular season record, the CRSCBL North Division Championship, the Regular Season Championship, the No. 1 overall seed, and now the first league championship in franchise history.

To everyone who helped make this unforgettable season possible—thank you.

We'll see you in 2027.

For one last time in 2026... Dusted 'Em!