POMONA, Calif. – Can't keep him down. After a season-ending injury early in 2016,
Ryan Olson of the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos baseball team has been selected by the Cincinnati Reds in Round 13 of the 2016 MLB Draft.
He was overall pick No. 378, and the third member of the Broncos' team selected. Also chosen with Olson were
Peter Bayer,
Michael Koval, and
Jared James. The addition of those three marks nine Broncos selected in the MLB Draft in the past two seasons, the most of all Division II teams.
In the 2016 season, Olson improved his flawless record on the mound with a 3-0 showing through five appearances. He recorded a 1.93 earned run average as he allowed just six earned runs through 28 innings. He limited opposing batters to a .206 average at the plate and allowed just three extra base hits to 112 batters.
His debut season with the Green and Gold, the 2015 season, earned him numerous accolades and a CPP record. He is the only pitcher in CPP history to post a perfect record on the mound, a 12-0 mark though 14 starts.
He earned the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Newcomer of the Year Award and First-Team honors. His 88.2 innings on the mound in 2015 showed him with a 1.73 ERA as he held opposing batters to a .180 average at the plate. Of the 345 batters faced, just six extra-base hits were allowed.
He was twice named an All-American, once by the Daktronics and once by ABCA/Rawlings. Prior to his season-ender in 2016, the junior righty from Upland was on the Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
Olson was on the Broncos' roster for both of CPP's trips to Cary and was a major player for the Broncos as they secured the West Region Title in 2015. In that season, he tallied a career-high 14 strikeouts against No. 17 Truman in the NCAA Championships.
His 14-strikeout showing also had him allowing just six hits through eight innings of work. The Broncos won that elimination contest 13-2.
