By Sean Duncan

Ryan Olson, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound left-handed pitcher from Newman Central Catholic HS, did it all for his team last week. Signed at Northern Illinois University, Olson not only threw a no-hitter, but offensively he went 10-for-16 during a five-game span.

On the mound, Olson was dominating. In 11.2 innings, he struck out 23, walked six and yielded three earned runs. His delivered his crowning moment on Saturday, April 14, when he fired a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts against Dixon. In that game, Olson also went 3-for-3 with a triple and three RBI.

“He has grown into a more complete pitcher this year, throwing three pitches for strikes in any count,” said Newman Central Catholic coach Dan Crawford. “When Ryan is on the mound, he brings out a whole new level of confidence in our team.”

At the plate, Olson batted .625 for the week, which included two doubles, a triple and eight RBI. Against Kewanee, we went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI. He also recorded eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched.

For the season, he has notched 59 strikeouts, 22 walks and 17 hits in 28 innings with a 2.50 ERA. Offensively, he’s batting .524 with 15 RBI and four doubles. Newman Central Catholic is located in Sterling, IL.

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