Written By: Andrew Nowel

Image Courtesy Portland University Athletics

The baseball season has arrived as the weather begins to warm up, and the Portland Pilots are already in full season form. Ryan Rembisz took the mound last Tuesday for his first start of the season with a mindset of eating up innings for his team. Two hours later, the rarest accomplishment in baseball was achieved by the star pitcher: a perfect game.

Rembisz came into the day with a different mindset as he normally comes out of the bullpen as a reliever. He took his time to warm up, allowing him to center his focus on first pitch.

“Having a lot of time to get ready and really dial in slowly over the course of three hours before the game got me focused,” said Rembisz on Wednesday. “It was a different feeling before this game.”

The Pilots hosted the Seattle Redhawks, a team that Rembisz knows personally from growing up in the Seattle suburbs.

“Where I went to high school, most people don’t know Portland, but they do know Seattle U and they were able to connect the dots, so it’s great to be able to showcase what the University of Portland is as a program and what we were able to do,” said Rembisz.

During the early innings of the game, Rembisz and the Pilots worked with ease, building an 8-0 lead after three innings. Though the Pilots’ offense couldn’t score the rest of the game, Rembisz only needed one. He worked with junior catcher Tyler Howard, a close friend and Rembisz’s catcher over the last couple of seasons.

“He was my roommate last year, and he’s caught me for the last three seasons,” said Rembisz. “He caught me in the WCC Championship in 2023, so we have a special connection, and every start is just figuring out how to be on the same page with him.”

As Rembisz finishes his final season with Portland, he looks ahead to continue playing baseball. He is a very well-commanded pitcher with 35 walks in 82 innings pitched while also striking out 80. Pilots Head Coach Geoff Loomis recognizes this as the young pitcher gets ready for the next step in his baseball story.

“Ryan came in with control, and it makes him a tough pitcher to face because he’s not afraid to attack the zone,” Coach Loomis said Wednesday. “He came into this spring as one of our best pitchers.”

After coaching for over 30 years, Geoff Loomis can see a player that is good and willing to work at being great. Rembisz shows all the signs of becoming a great player.

“He competes in every appearance even when he struggles, he doesn’t give in,” said Coach Loomis. “He’s a fantastic kid and a great athlete.”

Efficiency is key to throwing a perfect game as, in today’s game, most college starting pitchers get pulled after 90 pitches. Rembisz threw 86 pitches in his perfect game. With a future star on the uprising, remember the name Ryan Rembisz as the newest class of MLB stars begin their journey in just under five months. From the pines of the northwest, where will Rembisz go next in his baseball journey?