Hall of Fame
A native of Schenectady, New York, Ryan Zielinski ’13 was a star from the start for the Castleton baseball program, hitting a home run in his first collegiate plate appearance—a sign of what was to come over the next four years. He finished his freshman campaign with team-leading marks in numerous offensive categories: six home runs, 50 RBIs, 54 runs, 108 total bases, 74 hits and a .529 slugging percentage. His .363 average ranked second on the team that season, and his overall performance landed him NEAC East Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-Conference accolades along with Second Team All-New England Honors from the ECAC and Third Team All-New England honors from the NEIBA. Zielinski hit a team-best three home runs and drove in 35 runs as a sophomore. His junior season saw more accolades roll in as he batted an impressive .371 with 63 hits, 15 doubles, 45 RBIs and a .524 slugging percentage. His performance landed NEAC East Player of the Year honors, First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-New England accolades. As a senior, Zielinski racked up 51 hits for a .333 average with 11 doubles and 21 RBIs to claim First Team All-NAC honors. He was also a menace on the basepaths, stealing 58 bases in his career. During his time at Castleton, the Spartans won two conference championships and picked up three wins in the NCAA Tournament. Arguably the greatest player in program history, Zielinski graduated as Castleton’s all-time leader in hits (227), runs scored (161), RBIs (151), walks (86), extra-base hits (67) and doubles (48). He also appeared in a program-record 180 games and had an all-time high 669 career at-bats. Zielinski has taken up endurance sports following graduation, completing two half-Ironman races with plans to do more in the future. He currently resides in Colonie, New York, with his wife, Lauren, and their daughter, Rylee. He has spent most of his career after graduation working in the insurance industry, holding various positions at the same company for the last eight years at the time of induction.
