Beamsville native drafted by Oakland A’s
Switching to the mound was a career changing decision for Ryan Magdic.
The 24-year-old Beamsville native put away his bat this season to concentrate on pitching full time at the University of Missouri and the results were impressive.
The Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School graduate worked out of the bullpen and showed enough potential to be selected by the Oakland A’s in the 14th round (406th overall) of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft this week.
“I was getting some calls from teams on Day 2 and there was little bit of talk so I had a little bit of an idea,” Magdic said. “Just kind of sat around the phone, that’s what they told me to do, just listen up. We sat in the living room and hung out.”
When the big moment finally arrived, Magdic celebrated with parents, Mark and Michelle, and younger brother Kyle.
“It was crazy. I didn’t get a call beforehand. It just came up,” he said.
Magdic gave the Tigers a lift on the mound in his lone season with Mizzou, making 14 appearances — including four starts — and limiting the opposition to a .229 batting average. He also struck out 37 hitters in 35 innings, logging a 1-3 record, 4.63 earned run average and two saves.
Magdic joined the Tigers after a two-year career at NCAA Division II Florida Southern. After sitting out the 2022 season, he earned CSC Academic All-District honours in 2023 hitting .295 with five homers and a .500 slugging percentage. He also logged time on the mound during his career that included a junior college stint with Cisco College in Texas (2020-21).
He was more than willing to give pitching a shot in his final season of collegiate eligibility.
“I hit for four years in college and also did pitch a little bit in Texas,” he said. “I think it was another chance to compete and I got that opportunity and I just ran with it. Just going out there and still being able to play the game anyway I can, it was an opportunity that was presented and I went with it.”
Madgic normally throws in the 93 mile-per-hour range and has touched as high as 96.
“I use my fastball to try and get ahead and I have a slider and working on change up too,” he said. “I spent the whole winter developing pitches and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.”
Magdic grew up playing baseball and skiing. He joined the Ontario Blue Jays in Grade 9 before switching to the Ontario Royals program for the rest of his high school years. He also played for the BT Thunder and has fond memories of his guidance counsellor there, Rose Heron-DeChellis.
“Rose is awesome. She always helped me out in high school when I was there.”
Magdic spoke briefly with an area scout from the A’s who informed him he would be heading to Arizona.
“I don’t know what the exact process is but they will call us this week and let us know what we’re doing leading up into the fall,” he said.
Magdic, who completed his undergraduate degree in accounting from Florida Southern, is taking the process one step at a time.
“I’m just going to see what this whole process entails and go with the flow as I’ve been doing the last five or six years in college. Whatever opportunity presents itself, just make the best of what I’m doing,” he said.
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