Olney Cropdusters summer baseball team has a strong Howard County influence

Summer ball can be a relaxed, fun experience for college baseball players. It’s an opportunity for them to continue improving, though in a more casual environment, removed from the often high-pressure, intense situations found during the collegiate baseball season.

That rings true in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, where eight teams throughout Maryland, D.C. and Virginia play a 36-game regular-season schedule. That includes the Olney Cropdusters, a team featuring a great Howard County influence throughout the roster and coaching staff.

Reservoir varsity baseball coach Adam Leader is in his third season leading the Cropdusters. This year’s team features five former Howard County standouts, with old high school rivals joining forces. Ben Davis, a junior infielder at McDaniel College and the 2022 Howard County Times Player of the Year has the unique opportunity to play for his old high school coach, while welcoming the opportunity to share a dugout with old rivals.

“It’s a lot of fun finally getting to play with these guys. It’s a lot easier when you’re not playing against them,” Davis said. “Getting to play for coach Leader again after playing for him in high school, I couldn’t ask for a better summer.”

Meanwhile, there are a pair of Centennial graduates on the team in sophomore catcher Qwynn Ahearn (University of Pennsylvania) and his younger brother, Cade, an incoming freshman heading to Lehigh University. Former Glenelg pitcher Landon Castor (sophomore at High Point) and former River Hill outfielder Ehi Okojie (senior at Harford Community College) round out the five Howard County Cropdusters.

All five players have great familiarity with Leader and other members of the Cropdusters coaching staff. Leader coached Okojie in travel baseball when he was 12. Both the Ahearn brothers and Castor competed against Leader’s teams frequently in high school, while Qwynn and Cade’s mom, Tierney, coaches Leader’s daughter, Katie, in club lacrosse.

“It’s almost like when you coach an All-Star game, you compete against guys and then you’re on the same team,” Leader said. “It’s just an amazing feeling. Really working with these guys has been absolutely incredible. My hope is they come back next year and we get a couple more Howard County guys. We certainly have some Sherwood guys and a lot of other local guys and it’s really awesome to see these guys as they get older and they get better and being able to coach them.”

While the Howard County players have that camaraderie, they’ve also formed bonds with teammates from different schools across the country. The Cropdusters’ 43-man roster includes players from 29 different colleges and universities spanning Division I, II and III.

That wide talent range offers players new perspectives. It allows hitters to face a variety of pitchers with varying velocities, arm slots and pitch types. Meanwhile, pitchers are exposed to all different types of hitters.

“Meeting guys from all over the country is a really cool experience,” Okojie said. “You get to see their perspective from where they come from. It’s been really valuable for my life. Playing pitchers from all different levels, you really get a feel for the different kinds of levels and arms that you’ll see. It’s been really enjoyable just going out there every day and just facing good arms. That’s the best part.”

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Beyond the exposure to new players, playing every day also brings its fair share of valuable lessons, including most importantly how to handle failure. In those challenging moments when undergoing a slump several voiced the importance of remembering to have fun.

“I think the biggest thing is to remember to enjoy the game that you have,” Qwynn Ahearn said. “It’s summer ball, so you’re always having fun. You’ve got to be able to take that to where you get an even more competitive atmosphere, but at the same time it’s still a game you love. You’ve got to have fun with it. You can’t just get crushed by the pressure.”

The Cropdusters made the playoffs for a third straight year as the players are heading back to school in the coming weeks. While those Howard County players continue their baseball journeys at the collegiate level, Leader hopes their success and growth can serve as a model for players throughout Howard County.

“I hope anybody in the area understands that you will have a place to go if you put the work in,” Leader said. “We are a good team in the Howard County and Montgomery County area. I want to celebrate those kids. If they don’t want to go away from home, there is a place where these guys can stay at home but have the feel of summer baseball without living somewhere else.”