One of the Plant City Raiders’ rising young stars is sophomore pitcher Ryan Boyd, who transferred from Durant this year. In his second-ever high school start on Feb. 21, Boyd was nearly perfect — he led the Raiders to a 10-0 win over Tampa Bay Tech by throwing a no-hitter with five strikeouts.
Friday went really well for you. What were you feeling out there on the mound?
Well, my arm was pretty tight the day before, but I talked Coach (Fryrear) into letting me pitch in that game. He let me stretch it out, and then I threw that no-hitter.
At what point in the game did you realize, “Oh man, I’ve got something good going on here?”
When the game was over, really. I didn’t know I had a no-hitter going, until the guys told me afterward. It just felt like a normal day when I went out there.
What’s your favorite combo to get a hitter out?
Fastball-slider. My slider has a 3-to-9 break.
What are your hobbies outside of baseball?
I love to fish. It’s all I do when I’m not playing baseball. I go inshore almost every weekend. Freshwater, saltwater — all of it. My favorite spot is Cockroach Bay.
What do you usually catch?
Snook and reds. The biggest fish I ever caught was a 42-inch snook.
You just transferred to Plant City High School. How do you like it?
I love it here. It’s amazing. Everybody was really welcoming here, especially Coach.
What are your goals for this season?
No losses. Trying to go to states this season.
Do you have any superstitions?
Clean socks. I have to put on clean socks before every game. I keep them dirty at practice and clean them right before the game.
