Eight Big Train Players Come to Bethesda After Playing In NCAA Tournament

Photo by Matthew Lewyn

As North Carolina and Oklahoma prepare for the College World Series championship, eight Big Train players represented Bethesda on the “Road to Omaha” with their respective collegiate teams.

The Alabama duo of right-handed pitchers Joe Chiarodo and Jackson Ketchum advanced to Omaha after advancing out of the Tuscaloosa Regional and defeating St. John’s in the Super Regional.

The No. 7-seeded Crimson Tide then matched up against Oklahoma in their first game in the College World Series. However, Alabama was defeated 9-0 and then was eliminated on June 15 with a 14-2 defeat to SEC rival Texas.

Still, the experience left the pair with fond memories.

“It was an awesome experience,” Ketchum said. “Omaha was actually crazy. It was nothing like what I thought it was going to be. After we lost, all the team got together, and we had a good night, so that was fun. Good to see all the guys one last time.”

Ketchum did not play in the Spring collegiate season with the Crimson Tide, as he was working his way back from a Tommy John injury. The West Point, Mississippi, native joined the Big Train for four days last summer, but the injury forced him to return home.

Chiarodo saw action in six games for the Crimson Tide in the Spring. As a two-way player, he appeared in four games on the mound but also finished the season with two at-bats. Chiaraodo produced 4.1 innings of work, giving up four hits and no runs while striking out two opposing hitters.

Left-handed pitcher Charlie Hoagland (East Carolina) became the first college regional player to join the Big Train. Hoagland finished his freshman season at East Carolina with 20 appearances on the mound. He generated 23.2 innings pitched, 22 strikeouts and two saves this season.

The Pirates finished the 2026 season 38-24-1 and 17-10 in the American Athletic Conference. East Carolina defeated UTSA 1-0 in the conference championship to automatically advance to the NCAA Tournament. Hoagland shut down the door on the Roadrunners in the bottom of the ninth inning with a 1-2-3 inning.

East Carolina achieved the No. 3 seed in the Chapel Hill Regional. Hoagland saw action in two games throughout the weekend. Against Tennessee on May 29, Hoagland entered the game in the bottom of the 12th inning. The Dayton, Ohio, native got an out on two pitches before exiting the contest. 

In the following game against North Carolina on May 30, Hoagland entered the ballgame in the top of the fourth inning. He faced four hitters, giving up a double and a hit-by-pitch in 0.2 innings of work.

“The crowds there were awesome, and just kind of soaking in that experience with my teammates back at ECU was a memory I won't forget,” Hoagland said. “Bringing that level of energy and experience to a team is something that I really want to do.”

For the Big Train, Hoagland started the June 5th showdown against the Southern Maryland Senators at Shirley Povich Field. He hurled 3.0 innings, giving up four hits and three runs. Hoagland struck out five batters on 61 pitches.

The duo of left-handed pitcher Talin Gardini (St. Mary’s) and right-handed pitcher Jake Nobles (St. Mary’s) also had strong performances for the Gaels during regional play.

Gardini pitched 1.1 innings against Cal Poly on May 30, entering the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. He struck out one hitter in his 38 pitches, however, St. Mary’s could not capitalize on the performance, losing 14-1 to the Mustangs in the Los Angeles Regional.

The San Diego, California, native finished his college campaign with a 1-4 record and 5.30 ERA. Gardini appeared in 17 games, starting five of them, combining for 37.1 innings pitched. He generated 32 strikeouts and two saves throughout the season.

One day later, Nobles pitched 3.1 innings of relief against Cal Poly. Entering in the top of the sixth inning, he finished the contest with two strikeouts while giving up two runs. St. Mary’s dropped its second matchup against Cal Poly, eliminating the Gaels from NCAA Regional Play.

Nobles finished St. Mary’s magical season — as the Gaels became the first four-seed to defeat No. 1 overall seed (UCLA) twice since 1999 — with 18 appearances and 34.2 innings pitched. The North Tustin, California, native generated 37 strikeouts and a 5.71 ERA during the season.

If St. Mary’s were to advance out of the regional, the Gaels could have played right-handed pitcher Jack Sams (Kentucky) and the Wildcats. However, Kentucky dropped a winner-take-all game to West Virginia, 6-5, on June 1.

Sams pitched against the Mountaineers on May 30, hurling 0.2 innings in an 11-9 win. Over the course of the season, Sams appeared in 10 games for the Wildcats. He produced a 2.16 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 16.2 innings on the mound.

His season-best performances came against SEC powerhouse programs Vanderbilt and Florida. In both contests, Sams pitched three innings, gave up two hits, struck out four batters and did not give up any runs.

Pitching and learning from high-level SEC talent helped Sams in his freshman collegiate season.

“I learned so much from all the old guys there,” Sams said. “The environments you're playing in definitely helped, and there was a lot of help from them growth-wise the whole year.”

UCF teammates Alan Soler and Zachary Malvasio also grew during their freshmen seasons in Orlando, Florida. The Knights advanced to the Auburn Regional during the NCAA Tournament. As the No. 2-seeded team, UCF took down North Carolina State 9-3 before losing back-to-back games to Milwaukee and Auburn to be eliminated.

Soler did not see action during the 2026 season due to an injury, but has pitched in two games for the Big Train this season. The left-hander produced three innings against the Cropdusters on June 9 and the Braves on June 15.

Malvasio produced 5.2 innings and eight appearances for UCF on the mound, while also taking at-bats in three other games. As an outfielder, Malvasio went 1-for-5 with one RBI and two strikeouts at the plate. As a right-handed pitcher, he gave up two runs while striking out seven opposing hitters.

Bethesda turns its attention to a doubleheader at the Metro South Braves Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the second game is slated to start at 7 p.m.