Kritscher Leads Off, UCSB Follows

For one long frustrating year, Ryan Kritscher was an ignition switch in search of an engine.

His resume was impeccable: Division I batting average of .315 for three years, American Legion national batting champion, All-Southern Section player at Thousand Oaks High.

Yet Kritscher was idling at home in Thousand Oaks last year wondering if any school in Southern California could use him. He contacted UC Santa Barbara Coach Bob Brontsema, who said his team was set at second and third base, the positions Kritscher played, but, sure, come on out.

Eight games into the season, the engine is purring.

From his leadoff spot, Kritscher is batting .462 and leads the Gauchos (7-1) with 12 hits, 13 runs and four doubles. He has two home runs, three stolen bases and has not struck out.

“I wanted to enjoy my last year and this is working out,” he said. “These guys are great and the team is winning.”

He gladly converted to the outfield, although he played second base Tuesday against Pepperdine. Clark Parker was out because of a hamstring injury.

“Ryan is a great addition,” Brontsema said. “He is a tough out and a tough guy. He is probably our best hitter.”

After starring at Thousand Oaks, he went to Southern Mississippi because it was the only Division I school to offer him financial aid.

“I was homesick but I stuck it out because I’d made the decision,” he said.

That didn’t affect his performance. He was an All-Metro Conference infielder and an A student.

After his freshman year, Kritscher helped Newbury Oaks win the 1992 American Legion World Series. That short-lived reunion with longtime friends only made him more homesick.

When he wasn’t drafted after his junior year, he bolted Southern Mississippi, only to find that schools in Southern California weren’t lined up for his services. Kritscher spent last season coaching with a youth team and pitching in at Thousand Oaks High, finding any excuse to take the field.

He has a different goal now.

“Having our team make the regionals, that’s what matters to me now,” he said.