Foothill graduate Ryan Probst back crushing baseball at Ohlone

It’s understandable why Ohlone outfielder Ryan Probst describes 2018 as a “roller-coaster season” for him.
The former Foothill High captain began the season with a setback comparable to a lead tenor losing his voice on opening night of the opera. Probst drew a four-pitch walk on his very first at-bat against Diablo Valley, the pitcher threw over and he dislocated his shoulder.
Ohlone won the game 12-1 on Jan. 27, but Probst probably didn’t feel much like celebrating. He was lost for about half the season.

"I was just like ‘you’ve got to be kidding me? What luck I have,’” Probst recalled of his first reaction to the freak injury.

Now flash ahead to Saturday, May 12, and there he was going 3 for 4 from the plate in a 4-2 win over Feather River which clinched Ohlone’s 2-0 sweep in the Northern Super Regional. Probst was also 2 for 5 with a double in a 6-5 victory over Feather River Friday.
Clearly, the roller-coaster ride has taken a very positive turn. Probst is pounding the baseball and the Renegades are rolling.

"It's so big having him back in the lineup," Ohlone coach Mike Curran said recently. "He's got good speed and he's just a clutch hitter. He had a walkoff against Cosumes last year in the regional playoffs and he had a walkoff against Sac City in the Section. He's a clutch hitter and he's a tough kid. He really makes us go."

Ohlone (38-6), which has won 16 straight games, will travel to No. 1 seed Delta (38-7) for a best-of-three-game series in the Northern Section Final, beginning Friday at 2 p.m.

Probst totes an excellent .423 batting average, No. 2 on the team behind Cal State Fullerton-bound AJ Curtis (.426), who ranks fifth in the state in the category. Probst is also second on the team behind Curtis in slugging percentage (.606) and on base percentage (.516).

“I’m seeing it well and just trying to pound the ball and good things usually happen,” Probst says modestly of his hot streak.
Last year, Probst hit fifth in the lineup and was a hero in Ohlone’s drive to the state final four. He was set to bat third heading into this season when disaster struck on opening day.
“I came back (from the injury) and I’ve just been beat up, but I’m trying to do what I can to get as many wins as possible and try to go as far as possible,” Probst says.
After high school, Probst signed with Sonoma State but didn’t like the fit, so he transferred to Ohlone, his second choice coming out of high school.
“It was probably the best decision I ever made,” he said of making the move to Fremont. “Hopefully I can go somewhere just as good, if not better next year.”
What makes Ohlone so special on the field?
“It’s nice that we have I think the No. 1 defense in the country, so pitchers just keep throwing strikes and they’ll trust their defense,” he says. “Hitters figure it out. We get jobs done and that’s all that matters.”