17 Days until First Pitch - #3 Ryan Mitschele

It's only 17 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.


#3 Ryan Mitschele

POSITION  Right-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT  6-2
WEIGHT  185
CLASS  Redshirt Junior
HOMETOWN  Statesville, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL  South Iredell HS





2019 (Redshirt Sophomore): Made 14 appearances on the season with five starts and nine in relief … Finished the season 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA, tossing 33.1 innings … Allowed 44 base hits, 18 of which went for extra bases … Recorded five-or-more strikeouts in his final three starts of the season … Came within two outs of securing his first collegiate victory, tossing 4.1 innings at Prasco Park against Eastern Kentucky (May 14), striking out six … Less than a week later, tossed his first career complete game, limiting The Citadel (May 18) to three runs – one earned – while scattering nine hits with five strikeouts without issuing a walk … Struck out a career-high seven in a 4.2 inning start against Furman (May 23) at the conference tournament ... Named to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2018 (Redshirt Freshman): Made three relief appearances out of the bullpen, making his collegiate debut against Canisius (Feb. 24) … Finished the year 0-1 with a 23.14 ERA in small sample size, recording just 4.2 innings on the season … Tossed a career-long 4.0 innings against Canisius, striking out a career-high six against five walks … Suffered a concussion after taking a foul ball off the ear in the dugout during the two-game set against VCU (May 18) in games played in Forest City, N.C. … Named to the 2017-18 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2017 (Freshman): Did not see game action despite traveling part of the season ... Expected to take a redshirt; Summer League: Pitched for the Irish Hills (Mich.) Leprechauns of the Great Lakes Collegiate League ... Made seven appearances with one start, tossing a combined 14.1 innings ... Finished 0-3 with an 8.79 ERA, striking out 14 batters against 23 walks issued.




Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations