A FRESH FACE
In an upperclassman’s world, St. Paul-bristol’s Ryan Daniels makes an impact as freshman for Uconn baseball
Ryan Daniels hit .530 during his high school career at St. Paul-bristol, but when he got to Uconn it was apparent right away he would be waiting his turn. “I don’t think enough kids realize what it takes to play here,” Daniels said. “I assumed, being a pretty good high school player, I would come in here and play right away. Everyone thinks its like a fairy tale world, but it’s not at all. I realized immediately I was with some real talent here.”
Talent, and experience. For a true freshman to get on the field at a major Division I baseball program has never been easy, but in 2023, with fifth- and sixth-year players and transfers from all over the country, it has become almost unheard of at programs the caliber of Uconn.
But Daniels has proven to be that exceptional freshman, with his sure hands at second base and mature at-bats, who forced the coaches to find spots to play him.
“He’s a truly confident young man,” head coach Jim Penders said. “Not to the point where he is arrogant or conceited, but he has a bearing where he believes he’s going to get the job done and that can be contagious. He works hard on his swing, on his defense, on his body. Physically, he was ahead of a lot of freshmen.”
Daniels, twice an All-stater, helped St. Paul reach the Class S championship game in 2021, and helped the Falcons return to win it last June. A year later, he will be playing in the NCAA Tournament, as Uconn (43-15) faces Texas Tech (39-21) in the first round of the Gainesville, Fla., Regional at noon Friday.
“It’s been an awesome year,” he said. “So many ups and downs, as there is with baseball.”
Daniels found himself sitting on the bench during Uconn's first series of the year, getting only one at-bat in four games against Ohio State. It resulted in a hit, a stolen base and a run scored, but he didn't get his first start until the Huskies' ninth game.
“I'm sitting on the bench the first week of the season thinking, ‘I'm never going to play, this is going to stink, I'm just going to be a cheerleader,'” Daniels said. But he had spoken with assistant coach Jeff Hourigan just before the season began and was assured that if he stayed ready, kept working at it, the coaches would find ways to get him in there.
When the Huskies had some injuries and moved players around, Daniels got his chance, starting 23 games, coming off the bench to play in key moments of several late-season games. In the second-to-last regular-season game, Daniels, a lefthanded hitter, came off the bench to pinch-hit in the eighth inning and Creighton countered with a lefty reliever.
“I knew I would be ‘hot,' meaning possibly going into the game,” Daniels said. “Coach Penders told me to loosen up, and there was this little cage, you would hit your bat on the wall, I went in there. As soon as I went up, lefty goes in, but the coaches were confident in me.”
Daniels took two balls, swung at one in the dirt, then stayed on a low pitch and drove it over the second baseman's head for a two-rbi single, putting Uconn ahead and helping break a late-season losing streak.
A few games earlier, Daniels drew a bases-loaded walk to win a game against Butler in the 13th inning at
Elliot Ballpark.
“It was remarkable how many tough pitches he was able to foul off and stay in the at-bat,” Penders said.
Daniels, 6 feet and 190 pounds, hit .287 with a homer and 19 RBI in 101 at-bats, 15 steals in 16 attempts and only one error in 98 chances at second base, where he turned 12 double plays. Because of his willingness to listen and learn, Penders said, Daniels has been a natural at building relationships with players four or five years older.
“There have been a lot of teachable moments, for sure,” Daniels said. “I really started to learn from guys like David Smith and Dom (Freeberger). Those guys are so much more experienced than me and older than me. I can't thank them enough for what they've taught me, things from life to baseball to playing infield to hitting to doing my math homework. They've taught me everything.”