Changing schools as a high school student can be tough. Making new friends and learning your way around isn’t easy. But as part of a military family, Ryan Wallace has learned to adapt to wherever he and his family settle.
“I am from an active-duty military family, and we have lived all over the country,” Wallace said.
And Wallace has been welcomed with open arms as the newest member of the Calvary Day School baseball team.
Wallace and his family moved to Savannah earlier this year, and after touring the school, he knew they were in the right place.
“It has been great since arriving here at Calvary,” Wallace said. “They have been very welcoming.”
Baseball has been a big part of Wallace’s life; he’s always played the sport, no matter where he and his family have lived.
“It was very important to my family to find a school with a great baseball program and high academic standards that would help me follow the path that God has created for me,” Wallace said.
Wallace previously attended Union Pines High School in North Carolina, located just outside of Fort Bragg in the town of Whispering Pines. He had grown comfortable learning to be a better baseball player there and liked the team, his teammates, and coaches.
“Union Pines was a talented team with many upperclassmen to look up to and a very good coaching staff,” Wallace said.
He also played for a travel team there.
“I found my travel organization there, and they helped me grow and develop as a player,” he said.
Wallace said that leaving his North Carolina home was not easy.
“It was very hard to leave because I loved my home, my friends,” he said. “The transition to the new school was rough at first.”
But his Calvary Day teammates and coaches made him feel better about his new surroundings.
“I have adjusted well thanks to my new teammates accepting me and taking me into a very tight family,” he said. “That means a lot.”
Now, feeling comfortable as a member of the Calvary Day baseball program, Wallace has had the chance to continue to grow as a player while helping the Cavaliers as an all-around talent.
“Ryan has been an unbelievable addition for us since arriving here last summer,” said Calvary Day head baseball coach Phillip Lee.
The coach said there is always a bit of uncertainty when it comes to having a new player join the team.
“You never really know when you have a new kid transferring in how they are going to fit in with our system and their teammates, but Ryan came in and hit the ground running,” Lee said. “He has fit in very well with his teammates here.”
The Cavaliers head coach said Wallace is one of the top pitchers in the team’s five-man rotation, and when Wallace isn’t on the mound, he is the team’s starting third baseman.
“He’s right up there as one of our top two starters, and he’s been lights out over at third base,” Lee said.
Wallace has also done his part at the plate this year.
“Ryan can do a little bit of everything as a hitter,” Lee said. “He can hit for power, and he can bunt a guy over when he needs to. He’s kind of been a do-it-all player for us so far this season.”
So far through the Cavaliers’ first 16 games of the season, Wallace and his teammates are off to a 13-3 start and riding a 10-game winning streak. They lead their region with a perfect 6-0 record.
Wallace has done his part.
He is perfect on the mound with a 5-0 win-loss record. He has pitched 29.2 innings so far and has faced 109 batters, with 40 strikeouts. He has allowed 11 hits, four walks, and just one earned run. He has a .236 ERA, and opposing hitters are batting just .112 against him.
At the plate, Wallace usually bats in the middle of the order. He is hitting .346 and has 16 RBIs.
Wallace is looking forward to the rest of this year and his senior season in 2025.
Following his high school career, Wallace said he hopes to continue playing the number one sport that he has played his whole life.
“It is my goal to attend college and play college baseball,” Wallace said. “I want to pitch in college, but would be open to being a two-way player. I love to hit and play the infield as well, but ultimately pitching at the highest level is my dream.”
