He’s got a fastball that ranges between 88 and 90 mph, a splitter that’s simply too filthy for the junior college level, and the confidence to throw both – or any pitch – when he needs a strike.
In two standout seasons with West Valley College, which followed an equally impressive final two years with Sobrato High School, Ryan Williams has questioned neither his ability, nor the likelihood that he would one day play Division I college baseball.
“All I needed to do was get stronger every year,” he said. “There was never any doubt as long as I put the work in I needed to.”
Williams made good on that earlier this month when he signed with East Carolina University. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound sophomore received a partial scholarship and has three years to play two seasons for the Pirates.
“I’m excited. It’s been the goal since high school and trying to achieve it,” Williams said. “It’s one of those dreams you hope to accomplish in the game you love to play.”
Williams, 20, showed plenty of next-level promise this year. He made first-team All-Coast Golden Gate Conference, earned the league’s Gold Glove Pitcher award and was voted West Valley’s MVP. Williams was ranked first in the conference in wins (eight), third in strikeouts (64) and fourth in ERA (2.20), according to Spincostats. He threw 98 innings.
“The kid can flat out pitch,” West Valley manager Rick Wiens said. “He doesn’t have the biggest arm yet, but he can throw it anywhere he wants with all four pitches. … His split was definitely his out pitch – you just don’t see that in junior college. He was very special.”
Behind Williams, the Vikings (22-15, 17-5) won their final 11 regular-season games to tie for second in the conference. They earned a the No. 12 seed in the Northern California Regional and were swept by No. 5 Merced in their opening two-game series. Williams took a tough loss in Game 1, striking out three and allowing four earned runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.
“He gave us a chance to win, a great chance to win,” Wiens said. “He pounded the zone, forced contact. We just did not execute offensively.
“We did a good job this season, and Ryan was a big part. He’s a hard worker and a competitor, one of those guys you don’t have to worry about.”
When Williams took the hill, the Vikings’ confidence went up.
“He was our leader. You knew he was going to throw nine innings and probably a shutout,” catcher Travis Bonner said. “Every time he’s on the mound, it’s just this good presence to have there.
“As a teammate, he’s a nice kid, not selfish in any way. It’s never about him – that’s always good to have in a team aspect.”
Williams had the same effect at Sobrato.
“He was a guy you just want to have on your team,” said Gavilan pitcher and former SHS teammate Chris Bradley, who signed with New Mexico State in December. “He has great character, and he’s a nice guy; he doesn’t talk bad about anybody. He just handles his business.”
As the 2009 Mount Hamilton Division Junior of the Year, Williams pitched the Bulldogs to the 2009 Central Coast Section Division II final, striking out five in a complete-game 2-1 semifinals victory over Willow Glen. (Sobrato lost 4-1 to Bonner’s Los Gatos team in the title game.) Williams made first-team all-league for the second straight year as a senior and helped lead the Bulldogs back to sectionals.
He was already perfecting the splitter that Bonner said is hard enough to catch, let alone hit.
“My coaches and teammates boosted my confidence coming out of high school,” said Williams, who also earned back-to-back all-league honors in basketball and still holds Sobrato’s single-season and career records for 3-pointers made. “[Since then] I’ve learned that everybody’s good. You’ve just got to do what you can. If you make a mistake, you’ve got to learn from it, or you’ll end up making it again and losing it. [You’ve] got to stay focused through it all.”
Bradley sent a congratulatory text message to Williams when he found out he signed.
“No surprise at all,” Bradley said. “I even told him when he went up to West Valley – he hadn’t signed yet – “Don’t worry about it. You’re going to get a top-20 sign.’ That’s exactly what I expected.”
Located in Greenville, N.C., ECU has had a string of recent success, including 12 NCAA Regional appearances in 14 years. The Pirates (35-22-1) earned a No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill Regional on Monday.
“I like the coaches a lot,” Williams said. “I’m excited to meet some of the players when I get down there and find a place to live.”
Williams isn’t planning on redshirting next season. He hopes to make the starting rotation.
“He has a good chance to be successful at ECU,” Wiens said. “We’re looking forward to some day watching him on TV.”
