Redbird baseball’s star center fielder Ryan Cermak and head baseball coach Steve Holm join Redbird Buzz to discuss Cermak’s stellar 2022 Illinois State season and the upcoming Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Some scouts predict that Cermak will be drafted in the first five rounds, which would place him among the highest MLB draft picks in Illinois State history.
Cermak won the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year and was also named a Gold Glove Winner by ABCA/Rawlings for his outstanding performance in center field for the Redbirds in 2022. In addition to his high-level defense, Cermak also finished his season with a .340 batting average, 43 RBIs, 45 runs scored, and 19 home runs. He is the first Redbird since 1999 to hit at least 15 home runs in one season.
Redbird Buzz sat down with Cermak and Holm to chat about why Cermak has drawn national recognition, his approach as a hitter at the plate, and how his smile sets him apart from other great players. Cermak also talks inside baseball, sharing his favorite ballpark snack, his future MLB walk-up song, and his favorite Redbird jersey combination.
Make sure to follow along with @RedbirdBaseball on Twitter July 17–19 for coverage of the MLB draft and to see where Cermak lands.
Redbird Buzz is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Transcripts of each episode are available online at Alumni.IllinoisState.edu/Podcast.
