It’s not very often that you see a Division III athlete find much
success after graduating college. That’s not the case, however for
the reigning ECAC D-III New England player of the year, Ryan
Walsh.

After graduating from UMB at the top of almost every major
offensive category including hits (266), runs (187), RBIs (166),
doubles (64), home runs (25), total bases (419), slugging
percentage (.624), walks (77) and stolen bases (79), Walsh
continued his success by signing a professional contract with the
Newark Bears of the Canadian American Association of Professional
Baseball.

“I was very happy and honored to hear I won MVP,” Walsh said. When
asked about playing for Newark he added,” Professional ball has
been great… I’m very happy with Newark. They are a good team with a
great coaching staff.”

It’s hard to believe that with UMB being in arguably the deepest
conference in Division III talent-wise, that more Beacons haven’t
had the opportunity to showcase their abilities on a professional
level. “I’m not really sure why so few athletes have gone pro from
UMB,” Walsh remarked. “I hope the trend is starting to change and
people see that UMB is the real deal.”

The Beacons baseball team hopes to rebound from a sub-par season
this year with the loss of their star second baseman, but the
humble graduate sees no cause for alarm: “I’m sure the team will be
just fine without me. They have a good coaching staff with good
returning leaders as well as good young talent coming in.”

Ryan is experiencing great success in his rookie campaign. He’s
hitting at a .294 clip while knocking in 29 runs with 5 home runs
in 187 at-bats. He’s played 52 games with the Bears.

To keep up with Walsh’s continued success or to see the Newark
Bears live, visit www.newarkbears.com for stats, schedules, and
ticket purchases.