Pegues and Dray Shine as All-Star Selections for the Thunderbolts
BETHESDA, JULY 4—As we kick off the Independence Day festivities, let us also celebrate two TBolts who were recently selected to represent Silver Spring-Takoma at this year’s inter-league All Star Game.
The Ripken League All-Star team is composed of an elite group of 10 pitchers and 20 hitters from every team in the CRSCBL. Every summer, the Ripken League all stars face off with Virginia’s Valley Baseball League’s all stars in an exciting showdown at Shirley Povich Field.
Hailing from Falls Church, VA, Gabe Pegues is primed to make his first Ripken League All-Star appearance. The Lynchburg outfielder has proven to be a precious part of the Thunderbolts lineup in 2026. In 24 games, Gabe has slashed .293/.416/.500 with 27 hits, 12 extra-base hits, 16 RBIs, 18 walks, and 15 stolen bases. Without question, he has been Silver Spring-Takoma’s swiss army knife this summer.
“He’s just been doing a lot. From hustling, to driving in runs, to scoring runs, he’s been kind of doing it all,” said Thunderbolts Head Coach Brock Hunter. “The biggest thing is just how aggressive he plays. Just always running, always trying to take another bag.”
Gabe recently won the Ripken League Hitter of the Week award for his dominance at the dish. From June 24 to June 29, the righty batted 9-16 with five RBIs, four extra-base hits, six walks, and five stolen bases. Ultimately, Gabe praises all of his teammates for helping him prosper every night.
“I’m just so thankful for them, because without them, I wouldn’t be an All-Star. I’m just grateful to be on this team and I’m excited for the game,” Gabe told me yesterday before the Thunderbolts faced the Gaithersburg Giants. “Being around guys like Aydin [Prell] and Kai [Schmelzer]—just guys that have some energy about them that makes you excited to be there every day. I think that kind of helped me show up and just be in the moment, be present. I think that attributed to a lot of my success.”
Before the season, Thunderbolts General Manager Dick O’Connor was asked which new face he was excited to see take the field in 2026. Without hesitation, O’Connor commended starting pitcher Christian Dray, and everyone can now see why.
So far, the Richmond Spider has slung four superb starts for Silver Spring-Takoma; the right-hander religiously has opposing batters trapped in webs of wipeout pitches. In 15.1 total innings, Chrisitan has eclipsed 20 strikeouts, a WHIP of 1.37, and has only surrendered six walks. Moreover, his 1.17 ERA is good for the third lowest in the Ripken League.
“He’s got really good stuff. He’s got a plus fastball, plus slider, plus curveball, plus changeup. When he’s in the zone, he’s really good. He’s one of our guys who can really fill it up,” Hunter said.
Christian’s most recent start came against the DC Grays on Tuesday. He pitched four scoreless innings, and struck out eight batters with disgusting stuff; multiple batters swung at breaking balls in the dirt to end their at-bats. If he wasn’t an All-Star entering Tuesday, he certainly cemented his name with that performance.
“Dray is a great program and team guy,” said TBolts Assistant Coach Skip Eckert. “He’s here for the boys and wants to compete. But he also enjoys just hanging out and, you know—chirping. Let’s just put it that way.”
In a touching story, Skip has cherished memories coaching Gabe and Christian when they first began their baseball journey. Over a decade ago, Skip coached a six-year-old Gabe on his Little League team, “Chips and Salsa.” Likewise, Skip coached Christian on his Wild Bill Sports travel team based in his Dray’s hometown of McLean, VA.
“I actually was Gabe’s little league coach and he was my 1.1 pick,” Skip reminisced. “And I still remember dads in the room laughing, like, ‘why would you take this kid?’
I was like, ‘oh, watch what he would be.’”
Skip also spoke of how he admired Gabe’s performance in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championships this season with Lynchburg. Without hesitation, Gabe was the first player he called to recruit before the summer began in Silver Spring.
When asked about his reaction to Christian becoming an All-Star, Skip expressed, “It’s a cool pinch you moment, because I remember him when he was an 8-year-old kid. And he’s always had talent…It’s been fun watching him grow and mature as a collegiate baseball player.”
Overall, Skip is not surprised that Christian has risen to this level of dominance. “I knew that Dray had the ability to be the best arm in the league. Because, if he can figure out some of the intangibles, he’s a pro pitcher.”
Gabe and Christian have shown their Virginia valor all summer for the TBolts, and will prove to be pivotal players as the season progresses. On July 8, both men will suit up in Bethesda at Shirley Povich Field to represent Silver Spring-Takoma and the Ripken League.