Story by Kurt Miller
After two All-Star seasons with the Kenosha Kingfish of the Northwoods League and an All-MIAA first team performance this year for the Kalamazoo College baseball team, it's safe to say rising junior Ryan Orr is making the most of the opportunities he's been presented with thus far in his college baseball career.
And his recent success isn't going unnoticed.
Orr, a DeWitt, Mich. native, was informed by Kalamazoo College Head Coach Mike Ott on the evening of Aug. 24 he may have the opportunity to play in the nation's top collegiate summer league in 2017, the Cape Cod League.
The following morning, any doubt of that opportunity becoming a reality was put to rest.
"Around 8:45 my phone rang and [Coach Ott] told me that I had two offers from teams in the Cape Cod League, one from Orleans and the other from Cotuit," Orr said. "I felt relieved to know that teams in this prestigious league had interest in me and now it was up to me to decide which team I wanted to go to."
After some quick but thorough research, Orr made his decision official and signed with the Orleans Firebirds on Thursday, Aug. 25.
"This league has the finest talent in the country which is typically from the largest and most known Division I programs and for Ryan to be represented in the league is a huge mark for him and our program," Ott said. "We have long stated that we are going after guys to get themselves and this program on the national level and this continues that journey."
The Cape Cod Baseball League, often referred to as 'The Cape,' has seen the likes of Big Leaguers Andrew Miller, Matt Wieters, Mark Teixeira and countless others take the field. In 2014, 265 alumni from the league played in the Major Leagues.
During this past summer with Kenosha, Orr posted a 2.11 ERA while recording three saves. He recorded a 1.39 ERA in 2015 for the Kingfish.
In 2016 with Kalamazoo, Orr recorded eight wins while tossing eight complete games including a no-hitter against Olivet.
The Cape will surely provide Orr with a new experience and stiffer competition than what he's become accustomed to, but he's never shied away from new challenges.
"I have yet to be at a level where I thought, 'I'm not good enough to play here,'" Orr said. "There are always high and low points throughout a season and although I have struggled at times, I have never felt overwhelmed and like I didn't belong on the same field as my competition. I have always worked hard to be the best I can and I've been fortunate enough to have great coaching throughout my life so I have always been confident in my abilities."