From the very beginning of this year, Aiden Ryan had a goal of being the Big 7 Conference Pitcher of the Year. Mission accomplished. In May, Ryan earned the honor following a vote of the league’s coaches. Ryan was instrumental in Cedar Ridge winning the Big 7 Championship, its first conference title since 2007. The Red Wolves went undefeated in league play for the first time ever. In the Red Wolves biggest games, Ryan came up huge. Against Seaforth on March 20, Ryan struck out a career-high 13 batters in a 1-0 Cedar Ridge win in Hillsborough. In his next start against Walter Williams, Ryan struck out ten batters over six innings in a 4-2 Red Wolf win in Burlington. Against Orange, Ryan scored the game-winning run off a walkoff single from Carter Warren in the eighth inning. It was Cedar Ridge’s first home win over its crosstown rival since 2018. On the season, Ryan also earned wins against Durham School of the Arts, where he struck out seven in five innings. After making the All-Big 7 Conference team, Ryan graduated in June. Later this month, he will depart for South Carolina where he will pitch for USC-Sumter. As fate would have it, his roommate will be recently graduated Orange High pitcher Ryan Sawyer.
