MIDWAY, Ky. - Taking in the surroundings before the biggest moment of his athletic career, Ryan Davis couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.
On April 15, Davis, a former record-setting player and current assistant coach with the Midway baseball program, attended an open tryout with the Lexington Legends, an independent professional team in the Atlantic League, a partner organization of Major League Baseball.
Raised in nearby Paris, Ky., Davis grew up regularly making the 40-minute trip to Lexington, where he got to watch some of the game's greatest players in various stages of their careers. This included a seeing rehab start by seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and the minor league ascent of eventual American League MVP Jose Altuve.
Davis, who only knew about the tryout because of an Instagram message shared by fellow Eagle assistant Jackson Yazell, says the intimidation factor only increased when he entered the clubhouse.
"I walked in there, I saw a Miami Marlins duffle bag, a Dodgers duffle bag, there were guys there who had played Triple-A, Single-A," Davis said. "(Being) a small-town kid from an NAIA school...it was just crazy."
But when compared against what Davis had to overcome to even get to this point, competing for a roster spot against seasoned veteran professionals seemed like small potatoes.
Deep into the 2022 season at Midway, Davis, then a junior outfielder, was in Pittsburgh for a series against River States Conference rival Point Park. Entering the weekend tied with the Pioneers in the standings, Davis and his teammates were eager to bounce back in a Saturday doubleheader after losing Friday's series opener 6-0.
But as he got off the team bus, Davis felt a nagging tightness in his right leg. Initially chalking it up to being in cramped quarters the day after a game, the discomfort only intensified during warmups.
Thinking it might be cramps, he attempted to roll them out, only to be greeted by "the worst pain I ever felt" after stepping on a lacrosse ball. This led him to visit an on-site athletic trainer, who noticed a discoloration in two of his toes, which at that point had lost all feeling.
After being encouraged to go to the hospital, Davis eventually agreed, with one stipulation.
"I turned the heat all the way up and I put it on my foot and I was like 'If I can feel these two toes before we get to the hospital, we're turning this car around and I'm playing today,'" he said. "And I ended up being in Pittsburgh for four days."
Davis wouldn't play again in 2022, as tests revealed he had a blood clot in his right calf, and things only got worse following the diagnosis. That Sunday, he had a seizure that was initially believed to be a stroke. He also had to endure multiple MRIs, including one on his brain.
While the clot did eventually break up, health issues persisted over the following months. Shortly after getting home, a mass was found in his chest that doctors said had the potential to be cancerous. Though it ultimately wasn't, the matter still required two invasive biopsies, one that went through his airwaves, the other through his back.
Naturally, this made a return to baseball quite challenging. Still on blood thinners to start 2023, Davis was unable to lift anything over 20 pounds. His bad luck continued when he got on the field, as his first batting practice ended when he was hit by a pitch in the back, just above in incision scar.
"It was definitely a rollercoaster," he said.
Though still a little timid for a few weeks, the competitive fire that made him consider turning back on his way to the hospital quickly returned. And once he was taken off blood thinners, a fully healthy Davis helped lead Midway to record success in 2023.
Playing in all 52 games, Davis hit .316, had 42 RBIs and set single-season team records in runs scored (59) and walks (46) on an Eagle squad that won its first ever regular season RSC championship.
After graduating with the most career walks (98), and second-most hits (161), runs (131), RBIs (115) and doubles (35) in the history of the program, he stepped into a new role at Midway this season, as head coach Luther Bramblett offered him a job as an assistant coach.
"He's been an integral part of building our program," Bramblett said of Davis. "His leadership and his character have been a big part of us building what we have here."
But as Midway prepares for another run through the RSC Tournament, at least part of it will be done without Davis in the dugout.
Despite his initial nerves, Davis quickly got into a rhythm during the batting practice portion of his tryout, even rocketing off a few home runs.
That was enough to impress Lexington team officials, who called the next day to offer him a contract. Fully healthy and having gone through a few practices, he is expected to be in uniform when the Legends open their season at home against High Point (N.C.) on Thursday.
Making it all the more significant is that the contract offer came on the two-year anniversary of when he was admitted to the hospital.
Speaking about it a week after signing, Davis says it still feels surreal to know he's earned a spot on a professional roster. And with everything he's endured, he is most excited he gets to continue his career around the people closest to him.
"(Everything I went through) made me enjoy it more...because there was a chance I could never play again," Davis said. "It's super cool, especially coming from where I come from," he said. "Being a professional baseball player has always been my dream. And the fact that I'm in Lexington is even better."
His excitement is shared by those around him.
"For them to sign a local player like that...it's awesome," Bramblett said. "He's got a lot of people in his corner that want to see him succeed, not just at Midway, but back home in Paris."
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