2021 Baseball Roster
Cusick, Ryan
Jersey Number 33
Ryan Cusick
- Height:
- 6-6
- Weight:
- 235
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Sudbury, Mass.
- High School:
- Avon Old Farms School
Bio
Career Accolades
2021 Second Team All-ACC
ACC Pitcher of the Week (April 20, 2021)
2021 Baseball America Preseason Second Team All-American
2021 Perfect Game Preseason Third Team All-American
Career Overview
Struck out 206 batters in 158 career innings... Reached the 200 mark against Pitt with his fourth punch out of the game in the top of the fifth inning... Holds a career strikeout per nine innings mark of 11.73, the third highest in program history... Posted 10 victories in 35 appearances (28 starts)... Became the eighth first round pick in program history as the Atlanta Braves selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
2021 (Sophomore)
Made 12 starts on the mound, tossing 70.0 innings and earning three wins with an ERA of 4.24... Tallied a career-high 108 K's, the eighth-most strikeouts in a single campaign by a Demon Deacon... Posted the highest strikeout per-nine innings mark in the ACC (13.89), also good for ninth in the nation... Struck out at least 10 batters in six of his starts... Gave up zero earned runs in starts against Georgia Tech (March 19), Florida State (March 26) and Duke (April 16)... Struck out a season-best 12 batters against Notre Dame (Feb. 27) and Florida State (March 26)... Did not walk a single batter while punching out nine against NC State (April 30)... Pitched a season-high 7.1 innings in his final start of the season versus Pitt on May 20... Conceded a season-low two hits while fanning seven of the first 12 batters he faced at Florida State (March 26)... Picked up his second win of 2021 after not allowing more than one hit in any inning while fanning a pair of batters in four separate frames... Earned Preseason All-American honors from Baseball America (Second Team) and Perfect Game (Third Team)...
2020 (Sophomore - season shortened by COVID-19)
Finished the season with an 0-2 record and 3.22 ERA ... Struck out 43 batters in 22.1 innings ... His 43 strikeouts ranked tied for seventh in the nation, while his 17.3 strikeouts per nine innings ranked sixth nationally and also set a new program record ... Struck out at least nine batters in all four of his starts ... Didn't allow a home run ... In season-opener against Seton Hall, allowed two runs with 10 strikeouts over 5.2 innings ... Fanned a career-high 13 batters against La Salle (Feb. 28), conceding two runs in 5.2 frames ... In the ACC-opener against Louisville (March 6), gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits over 5.0 innings with 11 strikeouts.
2019 (Freshman)
Led the team in wins in his rookie campaign, finishing with a 7-3 record and 6.44 ERA ... Struck out 55 batters and walked 29 in 65.2 innings ... Recorded a perfect 4-0 record to go along with a 4.76 ERA in ACC play ... His seven wins are tied for second-most all-time for a Wake Forest freshman, trailing only top-five overall draft pick Kyle Sleeth ... His 55 strikeouts rank tied for eighth for a Deacon rookie ... Deacs went 10-2 in games Cusick started on the mound ... Perhaps his best outing came in relief, though, as he struck out a pair in 2.0 hitless innings — the 11th and 12th innings — to earn an extra-inning victory over Duke (March 24) ... His first-career start against Quinnipiac (Feb. 24) was also a gem, going 5.0 shutout innings, striking out seven while conceding five hits and one walk ... Also earned wins over Charlotte (March 19), Virginia Tech (Apr. 6), Pitt (Apr. 13), Davidson (May 7) and Clemson (May 18) ... Had a 4.25 ERA at David F. Couch Ballpark ... Spent the summer with the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League, finishing the summer campaign with a 3-3 record and 3.78 ERA, tallying a 33/7 K/BB ratio in 35.2 innings.
Background
Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 40th round (No. 1,189 overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft ... Rated as the No. 115 prospect in the nation by Perfect Game, as well as the No. 2 recruit from Massachusetts ... Picked by Prep Baseball Report as the No. 52 overall recruit in the country ... Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 235 MLB Draft prospect nationally, and No. 2 from Connecticut ... Had a 2.48 ERA as a junior, striking out 49 batters in 31 innings ... Went 6-2 as a sophomore with a 1.48 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 47 innings, allowing just 17 hits ... Club teammate of current Deacon Brendan Tinsman and former commit/current Rockie prospect Grant Lavigne with North East Baseball.
Personal
Son of Bill Cusick and Dorie Krawiec ... Born on Nov. 12, 1999 ... Member of the honor roll every semester ... Father, Bill, played football at Colby College.
2021 Second Team All-ACC
ACC Pitcher of the Week (April 20, 2021)
2021 Baseball America Preseason Second Team All-American
2021 Perfect Game Preseason Third Team All-American
Career Overview
Struck out 206 batters in 158 career innings... Reached the 200 mark against Pitt with his fourth punch out of the game in the top of the fifth inning... Holds a career strikeout per nine innings mark of 11.73, the third highest in program history... Posted 10 victories in 35 appearances (28 starts)... Became the eighth first round pick in program history as the Atlanta Braves selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
2021 (Sophomore)
Made 12 starts on the mound, tossing 70.0 innings and earning three wins with an ERA of 4.24... Tallied a career-high 108 K's, the eighth-most strikeouts in a single campaign by a Demon Deacon... Posted the highest strikeout per-nine innings mark in the ACC (13.89), also good for ninth in the nation... Struck out at least 10 batters in six of his starts... Gave up zero earned runs in starts against Georgia Tech (March 19), Florida State (March 26) and Duke (April 16)... Struck out a season-best 12 batters against Notre Dame (Feb. 27) and Florida State (March 26)... Did not walk a single batter while punching out nine against NC State (April 30)... Pitched a season-high 7.1 innings in his final start of the season versus Pitt on May 20... Conceded a season-low two hits while fanning seven of the first 12 batters he faced at Florida State (March 26)... Picked up his second win of 2021 after not allowing more than one hit in any inning while fanning a pair of batters in four separate frames... Earned Preseason All-American honors from Baseball America (Second Team) and Perfect Game (Third Team)...
2020 (Sophomore - season shortened by COVID-19)
Finished the season with an 0-2 record and 3.22 ERA ... Struck out 43 batters in 22.1 innings ... His 43 strikeouts ranked tied for seventh in the nation, while his 17.3 strikeouts per nine innings ranked sixth nationally and also set a new program record ... Struck out at least nine batters in all four of his starts ... Didn't allow a home run ... In season-opener against Seton Hall, allowed two runs with 10 strikeouts over 5.2 innings ... Fanned a career-high 13 batters against La Salle (Feb. 28), conceding two runs in 5.2 frames ... In the ACC-opener against Louisville (March 6), gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits over 5.0 innings with 11 strikeouts.
2019 (Freshman)
Led the team in wins in his rookie campaign, finishing with a 7-3 record and 6.44 ERA ... Struck out 55 batters and walked 29 in 65.2 innings ... Recorded a perfect 4-0 record to go along with a 4.76 ERA in ACC play ... His seven wins are tied for second-most all-time for a Wake Forest freshman, trailing only top-five overall draft pick Kyle Sleeth ... His 55 strikeouts rank tied for eighth for a Deacon rookie ... Deacs went 10-2 in games Cusick started on the mound ... Perhaps his best outing came in relief, though, as he struck out a pair in 2.0 hitless innings — the 11th and 12th innings — to earn an extra-inning victory over Duke (March 24) ... His first-career start against Quinnipiac (Feb. 24) was also a gem, going 5.0 shutout innings, striking out seven while conceding five hits and one walk ... Also earned wins over Charlotte (March 19), Virginia Tech (Apr. 6), Pitt (Apr. 13), Davidson (May 7) and Clemson (May 18) ... Had a 4.25 ERA at David F. Couch Ballpark ... Spent the summer with the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League, finishing the summer campaign with a 3-3 record and 3.78 ERA, tallying a 33/7 K/BB ratio in 35.2 innings.
Background
Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 40th round (No. 1,189 overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft ... Rated as the No. 115 prospect in the nation by Perfect Game, as well as the No. 2 recruit from Massachusetts ... Picked by Prep Baseball Report as the No. 52 overall recruit in the country ... Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 235 MLB Draft prospect nationally, and No. 2 from Connecticut ... Had a 2.48 ERA as a junior, striking out 49 batters in 31 innings ... Went 6-2 as a sophomore with a 1.48 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 47 innings, allowing just 17 hits ... Club teammate of current Deacon Brendan Tinsman and former commit/current Rockie prospect Grant Lavigne with North East Baseball.
Personal
Son of Bill Cusick and Dorie Krawiec ... Born on Nov. 12, 1999 ... Member of the honor roll every semester ... Father, Bill, played football at Colby College.
Wake Forest Football 2025 Week Two Trailer
Friday, September 05
Football Media Availability (9/3/25)
Wednesday, September 03
Football Media Availability (9/2/25)
Tuesday, September 02
Coach Jake Dickert Weekly Press Conference (Sept. 1, 2025)
Monday, September 01
