Francis Marion University Athletics

FMU:  Returning starter and letterwinner....Conference Carolinas 2025 All-Conference Team (second team)....Conference Carolinas 2025 All-Defensive Team....Conference Carolinas Academic All-Conference Team 2025....Appeared in 55 games (53 starts) as part of the 2025 squad that reached the NCAA Super Regionals....Conference Carolinas rankings: T-14th in home runs (7) and 19th in fielding assists (74)....7 multi-hit games and 6 multi-RBI games....Had 2-homer game at Mount Olive (4-5-2025)....Sat out the 2024 season as an intra-conference transfer....Transfer from Lees-McRae College, where she played two seasons....FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll 2023 (fall), 2024 (fall).....Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll 2023 (fall), 2024 (fall).

LMC:  As a sophomore (2023), appeared in 31 games, making 23 starts....Batted .244 with 9 runs scored, and 3 RBIs....As a freshman (2022), played in 40 games and made 39 starts.....Hit .255 with 15 runs scored, two homers, and 19 RBIs....Recorded a .358 on-base percentage.

PERSONAL:

• Born in Alamance County, NC
• Graduate of Bartlett Yancey High School, where she played for coach Kelly McVay
• 4-time All-Conference and All-District selection
• 3-time All-State performer
• 2-time Pitcher of the Year (2019, 2021)
• 2019 team MVP
• 2021 Female Athlete of the Year for her high school
• Earned the 2021 United State Marine Corp Distinguished Female Athlete of the Year award
• Graduated Magna Cum Laude
• Member of the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS).
• Also competed for the Carolina Elite Webster club team
• Nicknames are Ry and Rydawg

PERSONAL FAVORITES:

• As a child what you wanted to be when you grew up: A Veterinarian 
• How you got your nickname:  Ry is just a short version of my name, and Rydawg was given to me by my teammates
• Favorite Fictional Character: The Grinch
• Favorite Athlete: Sis Bates
• Favorite Sports Team: Atlanta Braves
• Favorite Movie or TV Show: Criminal Minds
• Favorite Food: Spaghetti
• Favorite Vacation Spot: Disney World
• Favorite Musical Artist: Cody Johnson
• Favorite Thing About FMU: The smallness, and the relationships between the staff and students.
• Favorite Off-Field Activity: Riding side-by-sides with my family and friends in the mountains
• Goals for Upcoming Season: Grow as a player in whole; I want to learn more about the game, about myself, I want to grow as a player, be able to improve physically, but also grow as a person
• Why you first chose your sport: My parents put me in sports at a young age, and my dad played baseball growing up so they put me in T-ball; As I got older, I transitioned from coach pitch baseball to coach pitch softball; After that I fell in love, it was something I wanted to do all the time; I was constantly asking to go throw with my dad in the back yard, and I always took my glove with me on vacations; I wanted to learn more about the game and wanted to know every aspect of it; Seeing my dad's love and knowledge of the game just caused mine to grow
• Biggest mental challenge in your sport: Being able to handle failure; you fail more than you succeed, and the hardest part is being able to accept that; You have to learn to accept the failure and not let it affect how you see yourself as a person and a player
• Interesting Notes:  2018, 2019, 2021 All-Conference, All-District, All-Region, and All-State in high school; 2019 and 2021 Pitcher of the Year; 2019 team MVP; Senior year of high school, I was 2021 Female Athlete of the Year, and the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Female Athlete of the Year; Freshman year at Lee’s-McRae I was awarded the Iron Bobcat Award; I like to do DIY projects in my free time
• Brush With Greatness: Worked a softball camp the past two summers with the Florida State head softball coach