Round Rock Express RHP Ryder Ryan Added to Team USA Roster for Upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games
Published on July 2, 2021 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Ryder Ryan is heading to Tokyo! USA Baseball announced the team's 24-man roster for the upcoming 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan on Friday morning, which includes Round Rock Express RHP Ryder Ryan.
The Huntersville, North Carolina native has spent the duration of the 2021 season with Round Rock, combining to go 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA (8 ER/19.1 IP) in 17 relief appearances. Ryan has struck out 22 and walked 13 while holding opponents to a .240 batting average. He has also tallied a pair of saves during his time in an E-Train uniform. He set a season high with four strikeouts in 1.1 shutout innings of relief on June 5 against El Paso. The reliever also tossed a perfect 1-2-3 inning in last night's contest against Sugar Land.
Ryan was acquired by the Texas Rangers on December 18, 2020 as the player to be named later in a trade with the New York Mets that sent fellow Team USA INF Todd Frazier to New York. The 26-year-old was originally selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 30th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina. In five Minor League seasons, Ryan has combined to go 11-11 with a 3.56 ERA (75 ER/189.2 IP), 207 strikeouts and 82 walks in 140 games. He owns a career .231 opponent batting average to go along with a 1.29 WHIP.
The righty was previously named a Midwest League All-Star while pitching for Class-A Lake County in 2017 before being traded from the Indians to the Mets for OF Jay Bruce in August of that year. He was also named a Florida State League All-Star with High-A St. Lucie in 2018. Ryan made his Triple-A debut with Round Rock earlier this summer.
Led by Manager Mike Scioscia, Ryan and his Team USA counterparts will depart for the USA Baseball National Training Complex in his home state of North Carolina on Friday, July 16 before a three-game exhibition series against the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team from July 18-20.
Team USA is one of six nations competing for a gold medal as baseball returns to the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008. Joining the United States in Tokyo will be the Dominican Republic, Israel, Japan, Korea and Mexico. Play begins with a group round consisting of two pools of three nations each. Team USA is slotted in Group B alongside Israel and South Korea. Each team plays each other once to determine seeding for the double-elimination knockout round. The final two teams standing after the knockout round then face off in a single-elimination gold medal game on Saturday, August 7.
The Olympic baseball tournament begins on Wednesday, July 28 before Team USA takes the field for the first time in a showdown with Israel on Friday, July 30 at 5:00 a.m. CDT. The Americans will later face Korea on Saturday, July 31 at 5:00 a.m. CDT.
Ryan will be joined on Team USA by three other Round Rock alumni, RHP Anthony Carter (2016), INF Patrick Kivlehan (2016) and RHP Nick Martinez (2015-2017). The only other player in Express history to represent the United States in the Olympic Games was RHP Roy Oswalt during the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, where the Americans topped Cuba 4-0 to win the country's first and only baseball gold medal. Rosters for the remaining teams participating in the 2021 Olympic Games are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Meanwhile in Round Rock, Ryan and his Express teammates continue a six-game series against the Sugar Land Skeeters (Houston Astros affiliate) on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at Dell Diamond. The Express and Skeeters are set to face off each night through July 6, with postgame fireworks shows planned for July 2, July 3 and July 4.
Single game tickets as well as full season and mini season membership plans are on sale now. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 2, 2021
- Isotopes Take Second Straight from El Paso - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Albuquerque Holds off El Paso Friday - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Yohel Pozo Hits Walk-Off Home Run in 3-2 Express Win over Skeeters - Round Rock Express
- Late OKC Rally Comes up SHort - Oklahoma City Comets
- Skeeters Suffer Walk-Off Loss to Round Rock - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Tacoma Rainiers Game Notes - July 2, 2021 vs. Reno Aces (7:05 p.m. PT) - Tacoma Rainiers
- Kazmir Named to Team USA Olympic Baseball Squad - Sacramento River Cats
- Aviators Outfielder Cody Thomas Named Triple-A West June Player of the Month - Las Vegas Aviators
- Round Rock Express RHP Ryder Ryan Added to Team USA Roster for Upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games - Round Rock Express
- OKC Dodgers Game Notes - July 2, 2021 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Aces Notes - Reno Aces
- Jake Meyers Named Skeeters June Player of the Month - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- Patrick Kivlehan Named to U.S. Olympic Team - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Bees Downed by Dodgers - Salt Lake Bees
- Aviators' Offensive Slump Continues in 10-2 Loss to Sacramento - Las Vegas Aviators
- Kelenic Fuels Comeback Hope with Two-Run Double, Rainiers Cannot Dig out of Early Hole - Tacoma Rainiers
- Pitching staff surrenders just two hits in win over Aviators - Sacramento River Cats
- Querecuto's grand slam the difference in 8-5 win - Reno Aces
- Pair of Big Homers Fuel Dodger in Win - Oklahoma City Comets
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