The Vienna Senators were by far the dominant team during the 2008 Clark Griffith League season (and briefly the nation’s No. 1-ranked team), but in the end had no hardware to show for it.

The five-time former All-American Amateur Baseball Association champions finished the CGL regular season with a 37-8 record, including a 23-1 start that vaulted them to the top spot in PG Crosschecker’s Summer 16 rankings of the nation’s top summer college league teams. However, they fell far short of expectations in post-season play. The upstart Beltway Bluecaps (21-29 in the regular season) swept past both the Senators and Fairfax Nationals (31-15) to win CGL playoffs. The Senators then won their first two games at the National Baseball Congress World Series, but were quickly bounced from the 42-team, double-elimination competition with two straight losses.

Vienna had visions of conquering bigger worlds when it chose to forsake the AAABA national championship four years ago in favor of the Wichita, Kan.-based NBC World Series, an event that has been dominated by teams from the Midwest and West regions of the country for decades. The Senators got a complete-game shutout in their tournament opener by CGL top prospect Daniel Tillman, a player who was added to their roster for the tournament, but they could do no better than a tie for ninth.

The McLean Raiders represented the CGL in the AAABA tournament and finished second as Tillman, who played for the Raiders during the regular season, rejoined the team in time for the tournament only to lose decisively to the Maryland Orioles in the championship game.

Tillman, a rising sophomore at Florida Southern, was easily the league’s top prospect and thrust himself into high-round consideration for the 2010 draft. By contrast, the league’s Most Valuable Player and Triple Crown winner, first baseman/outfielder Robert Hays of the Bluecaps dominated the league’s offensive stat sheet (.436-11-39), but was overlooked when managers and scouts shared their opinions on the league’s top prospects.

FAST FACTS
Year League Established: 1945.
States Represented in League: Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C.
Level of Competition (1-to-4 Scale): 3.
No. of Teams in League: 7 (Carney Pirates play partial league schedule).
Regular-Season Champion: Vienna Senators.
Post-Season Champion: Beltway Blue Caps. Vienna advanced to National Baseball Congress World Series.
Teams, PG Crosschecker Summer 16/Final Ranking: No. 16 Vienna Senators.
No. 1 Prospect, 2007 (per PG Crosschecker): Aaron Loup, lhp, Vienna Senators (Tulane; played in Cape Cod League in 2008).
First 2007 Player Selected, 2008 Draft: Nate Newman, rhp, Vienna Senators (Pepperdine; Mariners, 10th round).

Most Valuable Player: Robert Hays, 1b-of, Beltway Bluecaps.
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Eric Cantrell, rhp, Vienna Senators.
Top Prospect (as selected by league): None selected.

BATTING LEADERS
Batting Average: Robert Hays, 1b-of, Beltway Bluecaps (.435).
Slugging Percentage: Robert Hays, 1b-of, Belway Bluecaps (.815).
On Base Average: Robert Hays, 1b-of, Beltway Bluecaps (.527).
Home Runs: Robert Hays, 1b-of, Beltway Bluecaps (11).
RBIs: Robert Hays, 1b-of, Beltway Bluecaps (39).
Stolen Bases: Dan Lopez, 2b, McLean Raiders (19).

PITCHING LEADERS  
Wins: Richard Cary, rhp, Vienna Senators (7).
ERA: Eric Cantrell, rhp, Vienna Senators (2.38).
Saves: Jimmy Duggan, rhp, Vienna Senators (7).
Strikeouts: Daniel Tillman, rhp, McLean Raiders (61).
Opponent Batting Average: Kyle Hald, lhp, Vienna Senators (.197).

BEST TOOLS  
Best Hitter: Shane Brown, c-3b, Beltway Bluecaps.
Best Power: A.J. Kirby-Jones, 1b, Fairfax Nationals.
Fastest Base Runner: Juan Mujica, of, DC Grays.
Best Defensive Player: Chris Haney, c, Beltway Bluecaps.
Best Velocity Eric Broberg, rhp, Fairfax Nationals.
Best Breaking Ball: Evan Scott, rhp, Carney Pirates. (.197).

TOP 25 PROSPECTS