Ruyak’s performances as a pitcher, particularly for Steinert High, were also almost always spot on.
In his varsity career at SHS, Ruyak averaged nearly 10 strikeouts per 7-inning game. His senior year,
it was 11 Ks per game. He also ranks among the school’s best-ever in strikeouts-to-walks ratio where
he checks in at No. 7 all-time. In 1988, Ruyak struck out 113 batters in 70 innings pitched, the
most-ever in a season by a Spartan. “That’s a lot of strikeouts,” Rich Giallella understated. Ruyak
was the MVP of the Mercer County Tournament in 1988 when he helped the Spartans defend the championship.
He also enjoyed considerable success as a wrestler, capturing a
District 25 championship during the 1985-86 season.
He attended the University of Virginia on a scholarship and earned four varsity letters with the
Cavaliers. A second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 1991, he was drafted in the
17th round by the Detroit Tigers. He opted to return to school and was later drafted in the 31st
round by the Cincinnati Reds in 1992 and soon was in the Cleveland Indians farm system. He played
in the Instructional League and got as high as “high A” ball before stepping away from the game in 1995.
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