Ryan Yingst, a Lima native and graduate of Perry High School, throws a pitch for the Locos against the Xenia Scouts on Wednesday.
Chris Howell | The Lima News
Ryan Yingst knows what it’s like to watch a Locos game from the stands. It’s something he’s done since he was six years old.
He also knows what it’s like to attend the Locos youth baseball camp. He did that from the time he was old enough until he aged himself out.
Most importantly, Yingst finally knows what it’s like to don the orange and blue and step inside the fence as a player.
On Wednesday night, he made his first start at Simmons Field, and although it didn’t end in a Locos victory, Yingst looked strong on the mound in four innings, holding Xenia to one earned run on five hits.
It was a special moment for the 6-3 lefthander who currently attends Tiffin University, especially considering that he’s largely been away from competitive baseball due to injury since he last pitched at Perry High School.
“I had a good career at Perry and that built some expectations for me going into college,” Yingst said. “I had a great fall during my freshman season, but that’s when things kind of took a turn and shortly after that, I found out I needed surgery.”
Yingst learned that he had a complete tear in his left rotator cuff during the fall season of his freshman year at Tiffin.
He said the injury is something that he neglected in high school because he thought he could tough it out, but it finally caught up to him, and in February of 2022 he underwent surgery that sidelined him for the rest of that year and all of his sophomore year aside from some inter-squad games and Junior College scrimmages.
“Obviously having surgery has pushed back my college start date. I rehabbed all the way through my first season,” Yingst said. “I started throwing to live batters in January, but by the time I was ready to pitch in a game, we only had two series left in the season.”
Just like that, two seasons of his college career had gone by. For Yingst, it still feels like he hasn’t even started.
“Even though I’ve been in college for two years, it feels like I’ve never really gotten my feet wet. For me, this summer is all about getting some college innings under my belt that aren’t inter-squads or JUCO scrimmages.”
With an almost completely healed pitching shoulder, Yingst was recruited by the Locos to join the team for the GLCL season, and for both sides, the early returns on that deal have been positive.
Through his first 9 2/3 innings of the summer, the Lima native has limited opponents to two earned runs on five hits.
“He’s put in a ton of work, and to see him have success makes me feel good for him,” said Locos coach Chad Ehrnsberger.
“I love to see this for any of our players, but especially a local kid. If you talk to Ryan, he’s been a Locos fan for a long time and his goal was always to play here. He’s getting to live that dream and he’s doing well while he’s here.”
For Yingst, the key to his early success has been a combination of relying on his new teammates and leaning on his fastball.
“I think the biggest thing for me has been trusting the defense behind me and pitching to contact,” said Yingst. “I always know that my fastball is going to play. Even if it’s down (in velocity) from where I want it to be, I have to put it in the zone and make them hit the ball. So far I’m having success with that and I’m excited to keep building on it.”
Using that approach, Yingst tossed 5 2/3 hitless innings in his first outing of the summer on June 7. That day he entered the game with the Locos already down 7-2.
In what seemed to be a mop-up role, he brought Muskegon’s bats to a screeching halt, striking out three hitters and allowing just one earned run. Currently, Yingst’s ERA sits at 1.86, good for the fifth-best mark in the GLCL.
After countless hours of shoulder rehab and physical therapy, a strong return to competition between the white lines has been a nice payoff for the lefty.
“When you have to spend two years sitting back and watching, as a competitor, it starts to eat at you,” he said. “It feels good to get innings, compete and do what I love again.”
Being able to do what he loves, and doing it where he loves is what’s meant the most to Yingst who said that playing for the Locos has fulfilled a childhood dream of his.
“I don’t think words can describe what it really means to me to be here,” he said. “I went to Locos camp and I’ve done everything with the Locos as a fan, but putting on the uniform and being inside the fence is special.”
“For me, it’s been a dream to put on the orange and blue and go rep Lima.”
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on Twitter/X at @Lima_Howell
