A member of the ORU Athletic Hall of Fame, Ryan Neill enters his 21st season on the ORU coaching staff and the 18th season that the former All-American has served in a full-time role. Neill has been a part of 18 conference championships as a player and a coach with the Golden Eagles.
Since becoming a full-time assistant in the summer of 2006, Neill has taken on the role of recruiting coordinator, while also serving as ORU’s bench coach, coaching the infielders and at third base on game day. During the 2023 season, Neill was named the Associate Head Coach.Â
During Neill’s tenure overseeing ORU’s infielders, 30 infielders have earned All-Summit League and All-Southland Conference honors, and 11 have been selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Under Neill's guidance, the Golden Eagles led the nation in fielding percentage (.984) in 2023 and shortstop Mac McCroskey was tabbed as the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.Â
In the 2023 MLB Draft, McCroskey was a 20th-round selection by the Los Angeles Angels, marking the second straight season a Golden Eagle shortstop heard their name called. Jackson Loftin was selected in the 13th round by the Houston Astros in the 2022 MLB Draft.Â
ORU's Cal Hernandez was a 26th-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft after earning all-conference accolades. Shortstop Dylan Snypes earned Summit League Newcomer of the Year honors in 2017 before being selected in the 15th round of the MLB Draft. That came after Brent Williams picked up the same conference honor in 2016.
Jose Trevino, a three-time all-conference selection at ORU, was named to the USA Collegiate National Team as an infielder in 2011 under Neill's guidance, while being honored by four publications as a Freshman All-American. Trevino was drafted in the 6th round of the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft and selected as the Minor League Player of the Year for the Texas Rangers in 2016, while tallying a coveted Rawlings Gold Glove two-consecutive years (2016-17).
Following the 2013 season, shortstop Nate Goro was selected in the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels. In 2012, Neill guided senior Jared Schlehuber to a Summit League Player of the Year honor, while fellow senior Cam Schiller was an 8th-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers.
In 2010, shortstop Tyler Saladino was named Summit League Newcomer & Player of the Year after batting .376 with 18 home runs and 76 RBI. Saladino was picked in the 7th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox, where he's currently the starting shortstop.
ORU’s career home run (48) leader, Neill lettered four seasons at ORU (1997-2000) as a first baseman/outfielder, twice earning First-Team All-Mid-Continent Conference honors (1999, 2000) and also capturing Mid-Con Tournament MVP honors in 1999.
His best statistical season came in 1999 when he registered a .423 batting average with 18 home runs and 71 RBI, earning Third Team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball.
An Okmulgee, Oklahoma, native, he was a key member of three NCAA Tournament and Mid-Continent Championship squads (1998-2000). The Golden Eagles were a combined 166-80 (.675) during his four seasons on the field for ORU.
Drafted in the 22nd round by the Detroit Tigers in 2000, Neill spent three seasons in Detroit’s minor league system before retiring after the 2002 campaign.
Neill married the former Audrey Ramirez on December 18, 2004 in San Antonio. The couple resides in Tulsa and has two daughters; Dahlia and Marigold.
