Ben Liddle

Ryan Tryt, fourth year Catcher, had humble beginnings in baseball: “I got my first start in baseball in my backyard playing with my Dad, my two older brothers, and even my Mom.” Tryt began playing organized baseball at the age of six, and has not stopped since.

When it came to choosing colleges, RIT was not Tryt’s first choice, “Both of my older brothers went to RIT as engineers—one electrical, the other mechanical— so when it was time for me to go to college, I wanted to carve my own path.” Tryt ended up going to Ithaca College for Sports management , only to transfer a year later into the marketing program at RIT. “I decided to transfer based on the experiences my brothers had at RIT, the value of the co-op and an RIT education, and the good people here.”

This transfer led to some of Tryt’s favorite moments in his career here at RIT, “playing against my former teammates and my former college makes games against Ithaca very special to me, especially when we play at Ithaca.” RIT lost two double headers to Ithaca this year in mid-April.

With only three seniors on this year’s team, a young team has been RIT’s biggest strength and biggest weakness. “At the start of the year, we weren’t sure how well our underclassmen would develop. We needed them to develop as quickly as possible because of all the seniors we lost to graduation.” The season is still a work in progress to some degree, but RIT will be left with a strong team regardless of the outcome.

On a personal level, Tryt does his best to be a role model for his team: “Since I do not consider myself much of a vocal leader, I let my actions speak louder than words.” No inspirational speeches, only hard work and effort.

The team’s goal this year is the same as every other season since the team’s inception, to be the first team in RIT history to make it into the NCAA Tournament. “We’ve come close before, but we have never received a berth.”

After RIT, Tryt plans on playing in local Rochester leagues. However, at some point, he would like to coach, most likely at the college or high school level. “I need to secure a job and good career before I can make that happen.” His willingness to give back comes from a positive experience at RIT: “The experiences and memories I have shared with everyone while a member of RIT Basebal l and the RIT community are plentiful enough to last a lifetime.”