Ricky Castro Season 2020

2022 / AS A SENIOR
• Academic All-Big Ten

2021 / AS A JUNIOR (42-GAME CONFERENCE-ONLY SEASON)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Pitched in 12 games, all in relief
• Made a relief appearance in each of the first 11 weekends, including two in the four-game series at Minnesota
• Struck out a career-high eight over 3 1/3 innings of two-run relief in the series opener at Maryland
• Earned his first win as a Boilermaker with two innings of one-hit relief in the April 19 victory at Illinois that capped Purdue’s 4-0 weekend in Champaign
• Retired nine of 11 batters faced over three innings of scoreless one-hit relief in the series finale at Indiana
• Also impressed in the game 2 win at Minnesota, working 3 1/3 innings of two-hit relief
• Pitched a season-high 3 2/3 innings of two-run relief in game 3 of the Michigan Series
• Surrendered only three extra-base hits while racking up 23 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings in true road games
• Escaped a bases-loaded jam to strand three inherited runners in the win vs. Iowa

2020 / AS A SOPHOMORE (ABBREVIATED SEASON)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Pitched in three games, all in relief
• Worked 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball Saturday at Western Kentucky in his longest and most effective outing
• Struck out the only batter he faced in the midweek game at Indiana, stranding a pair of inherited runners
• Made his team debut on Sunday of the season-opening weekend vs. Hofstra

BEFORE PURDUE
• Pitched his first collegiate season at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois
• Appeared in 13 games, recording a 2.84 ERA and 57 strikeouts vs. 21 walks in 44 1/3 innings
• Made six starts, finishing the season with three wins and three saves
• Helped lead Parkland to 38 wins and the Mid-West Athletic Conference title
• Struck out eight over four innings at Northeastern Oklahoma Enid and nine over five innings at Lewis & Clark
• NJCAA All-Academic third team
• Pitched at Alexander Field in a Purdue-Parkland fall exhibition game in October 2018, striking out four over two innings of one-hit relief

HIGH SCHOOL
• Four-year letterwinner for coach Robin Renner at Neuqua Valley High School in suburban Chicago
• Played three years of varsity after helping Neuqua reach the freshman state championship game as a third baseman and pitcher
• Played for the Midwest Team at USA Baseball’s identification series in Cary, North Carolina
• Posted a 2.40 ERA as a starting pitcher his senior season, helping Neuqua win a third straight IHSA regional title
• Also led to Neuqua to consecutive sectional titles as a sophomore and junior
• Winning pitcher in the regional semifinal game as a sophomore on varsity
• Homered in the freshman state title game
• Honor roll student

PERSONAL