Ricky Castro

Position:
RHP
Class:
Graduate Student
Hometown:
Naperville, Ill.
High School:
Neuqua Valley High School
Prev School:
Purdue/Parkland College

2022 (Purdue): Was named to the Academic All-Big Ten.

2021 (Purdue): Was a member of the Academic All-Big Ten team… Pitched in 12 games, all in relief… Made a relief appearance in each of the first 11 weekends, including two in the four-game series at Minnesota… Struck out a career-high eight over 3 1/3 innings of two-run relief in the series opener at Maryland… Earned his first win as a Boilermaker with two innings of one-hit relief in the April 19 victory at Illinois that capped Purdue’s 4-0 weekend in Champaign… Retired nine of 11 batters faced over three innings of scoreless one-hit relief in the series finale at Indiana… Impressed in the game 2 win at Minnesota, working 3 1/3 innings of two-hit relief… Pitched a season-high 3 2/3 innings of two-run relief in game 3 of the Michigan Series… Surrendered only three extra-base hits while racking up 23 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings in true road games… Escaped a bases-loaded jam to strand three inherited runners in the win vs. Iowa.

2020 (Purdue): Was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team… Pitched in three games, all in relief… Worked 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball Saturday at Western Kentucky in his longest and most effective outing…Struck out the only batter he faced in the midweek game at Indiana, stranding a pair of inherited runners…Made his team debut on Sunday of the season-opening weekend vs. Hofstra.

2019 (Parkland College): Pitched his first collegiate season at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois…Appeared in 13 games, recording a 2.84 ERA and 57 strikeouts vs. 21 walks in 44 1/3 innings…Made six starts, finishing the season with three wins and three saves… Helped lead Parkland to 38 wins and the Mid-West Athletic Conference title… Struck out eight over four innings at Northeastern Oklahoma Enid and nine over five innings at Lewis & Clark… Names to the NJCAA All-Academic third team… Pitched at Alexander Field in a Purdue-Parkland fall exhibition game in October 2018, striking out four over two innings of one-hit relief.

High School: Four-year letterwinner for coach Robin Renner at Neuqua Valley High School in suburban Chicago… Played three years of varsity after helping Neuqua reach the freshman state championship game as a third baseman and pitcher… Played for the Midwest Team at USA Baseball’s identification series in Cary, North Carolina… Posted a 2.40 ERA as a starting pitcher his senior season, helping Neuqua win a third straight IHSA regional title… Led to Neuqua to consecutive sectional titles as a sophomore and junior… Was the winning pitcher in the regional semifinal game as a sophomore on varsity…Homered in the freshman state title game.

Personal: Majored in Kinesiology… Parents are Rick and Lil Castro… Father played football at Wright College in Chicago.