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Bethesda has continued to roll through most of its opposition this year, as it currently sits atop the Ripken League with a 17-2 record and is riding a 17-game home winning streak that dates back to 2017. The Aces sit at 9-8 and are second behind Bethesda in the South Division standings, but they did claim the teams’ most recent meeting, a 10-2 result on June 21 in Alexandria.

Righthander Chris Clarke (Southern California) is expected to take the mound for Bethesda, while Will Liverpool may do the same for the Aces. Clarke would be making his fourth Big Train appearance, having factored into a Bethesda win in each of his first three outings. He most recently threw 2.1 innings on June 26 against the Baltimore Redbirds, a continuation of June 20’s suspended game.

Bethesda’s stacked offense includes Alec Burleson (East Carolina), outfielder Justin Wylie (Arizona) and catcher Carson Taylor (Virginia Tech). All three have at least 16 RBI this season, with Burleson leading the league in the RBI, batting average and hits categories. With Jacob Southern (Jacksonville) expected to start at catcher Friday, Taylor may see some time in the infield.

One Aces player to watch is Ethan Cady, who leads the team in runs and walks and performed well against Bethesda last week, totaling two hits, two runs and an RBI.

First pitch at Povich Field, as always, will be at 7 p.m. on Friday. It will be Capitals Night at the ballpark, and fans are encouraged to rock the red and celebrate the Washington Capitals’ Stanley Cup victory.

The Capitals’ street team will bring games and prizes, including an inflatable hockey rink. Fans not at the game can keep up to date via Twitter (@gobigtrain) and Instagram (gobigtrain) throughout the contest, as well as by tuning into the Big Train radio broadcast under the “Watch Live” link on the Big Train homepage.