New Look for DC Grays '25
New coaches, revamped roster and temporary home field highlight a season in transition for Grays
There will be many changes for the 2025 edition of the DC Grays.
To begin with, the team will play at Woodbridge High School in Prince William County while the work on the baseball field at Catholic University is ongoing. The team's original plans included playing at Catholic starting this summer and going forward, after 11 years at the Nationals Baseball Academy and a year at Prince George's Community College (PGCC). However, after the work to install turf at Catholic was repeatedly delayed it became clear that the field would not be playable this summer.
"We owe a big thank you to Woodbridge High School," said Grays President Mike Barbera. "The Administration, led by AD Kyle Geck and the baseball coaches, have been great to work with. They have been very welcoming and accommodating. And most importantly, it is very good venue for our players and fans. We look forward to playing at Catholic next year, but we are very pleased with our temporary home here at Woodbridge High School."
The coaching staff has seen some changes as well, including a new head man in the Grays' dugout.
After two seasons as the Grays' manager, Maurice Bankston was hired as a full-time assistant coach at Georgetown University, where he had been a volunteer assistant. Given the added responsibilities of a full-time position, Bankston had to step away from the Grays.
In his place will be Jack Besser, who has a coach on the 2025 Grays staff. Besser is a graduate assistant at Columbia University (the 2025 Ivy League baseball champs), and a former assistant coach at St. Alban's in Washington, DC. Besser will be ably assisted by longtime Grays assistant and interim head coach at PGCC Jimmy Williams, recent Columbia graduate and former All-Ivy relief pitcher Will Parkinson, and former Jackson State pitcher and current DC Dynasty travel baseball coach Jashanno Sweeting.
The 2025 Grays roster has players from some familiar programs – schools like Wofford, Richmond, Lafayette and Marist have sent good players to DC in recent summers. This year schools like Rutgers, Nicholls State and Penn are sending players to the Grays for the first time. In the spring, several Grays were standouts for their respective schools. Infielder Noel Rivera hit .295 with 26 RBI for Marist, and infielder Carter Jenkins batted .316 for Nicholls State. Big things will be expected of both of them this summer. Two-way standout Ethan Nagy hit .336 for Div. II Lock Haven, and slugging outfielder Andy Rivera hit .354 with five homers and 29 RBI for Div. II Holy Family. Both will be counted to supply power in the middle of the order.
On the mound, every summer college team deals with injuries. Players who were supposed to play in the summer get hurt in spring and are forced to stay home and rehab injuries, or some pitchers hit their overall innings limit in the spring and never play at all in the summer. As sometimes happens, the Grays have experienced significant roster turnover even before the season begins, forcing DC General Manager Chris Spera to reconstruct the pitching staff on the fly.
It appears as though two stalwarts from Lock Haven could be among the best arms on the Grays staff. Relief ace Jace Szaflarski had a miniscule 1.17 ERA to go with seven saves, and swingman Brady Myers posted a 1-2 record and a 4.66 ERA in 29 innings. Righty Owen Basso posted a 3-3 mark in 29 innings for Lafayette this spring. Jamie Whittier from Wofford, AJ Thomas from Marist and Andrew Ruggeri from Penn didn't pitch much this spring, but they bring fresh arms to the Grays for a summer of Ripken League action.
