Ward named Co-National Freshman Player of the Year

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The historic season for Bryant University baseball redshirt freshman Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) just got a little more historic as he was named the Collegiate Baseball Co-National Freshman Player of the Year on Wednesday.

Ward becomes the first Bryant student-athlete in any sport to win a national player of the year honor at the Division I level. He is also the first from the Northeast Conference to win national freshman of the year honors and the first player from a team in the Northeast region since 2010. Ward shares the honor with Spencer Torkelson from Arizona State. 

In addition, Ward and classmate Tyler Mattison (Fort Ann, N.Y.) were named Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-Americans. It is the sixth-straight year the Bulldogs have had a Freshman All-American, while Ward and Mattison become the eighth and ninth players in program history to earn the honor. 

The distinction comes following one of the greatest offensive seasons in program and league history. Ward hit .409 with 101 hits, 22 doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 52 RBI, 51 runs scored and just 10 strikeouts. He also added nine stolen bases and made just one error between time at second base, left and center. The 101 hits are the most in Bryant and NEC history and rank third nationally. Ward is also the national leader in hits per game (1.80), ranks fourth in batting average, fifth in toughest to strikeout, ninth in total bases (150) and 17th in doubles.

Ward's historic season also included a program-record 30-game hitting streak and a 40-game on-base streak and 29 multi-hit games. That wasn't all, as Ward became just the third player in DI program history to post 50+ RBI and 50+ runs scored and set the program record for total bases.

Mattison put together a phenomenal rookie season, finishing 5-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 14 appearances, seven starts. He logged 53 innings and struck out 53 on the season. He was lights out in NEC-only games, posting a 1.70 ERA in eight appearances. Four of his seven starts were quality starts, including a seven-inning shutout of Central Connecticut.