Solberg eyes college baseball challenge

In his four-year varsity career with the Waukesha West baseball team, Ryan Solberg did just about everything imaginable to make his team members as good as they could be.

He closed out his high school career two weeks ago by leading the Wolverines (28-7 on the season) to not only a berth in the prestigious WIAA state summer high school tournament in Stevens Point, but all the way to the semifinals, where they lost to eventual state champion Franklin.

Solberg finished his run at West as arguably the most successful player in the recent storied history of the West program. In four seasons, he finished with a composite batting average of .451, had 132 RBIs and 14 home runs. Those are numbers that rank with the best Waukesha County has ever had to offer.

But with his high school experience now over, it's time to move on to bigger and better things for the soft-spoken, 6-foot-5, 210-pounder. Solberg will play NCAA Division 1 baseball this coming year for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"I'm really looking forward to playing college baseball," Solberg said. "I know the game is going to be a lot faster than what I'm used to. I know it's going to take a little time to get adjusted, but I'm just hoping I can make those adjustments and help UWM win a lot of games."

There's little doubt that the Panthers are getter a standout player. He put up big numbers all four seasons at West and capped off his senior year two weeks ago by winning several huge individual awards.

Solberg was named the Classic 8 Conference player of the year for 2010 and then two days later was named the WIAA state summer baseball player of the year by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association.

"I think winning those awards tells you what kind of player Ryan Solberg really is," said 13-year Waukesha West coach Chad Montez. "He's not only a great baseball player, but a great kid. He's so humble about his ability. He's confident, not the least bit arrogant. His teammates really look up to him. He's been a quiet leader for us. He leads by example."

It didn't take Montez long to see the kind of talent Solberg had four years ago when he showed up as a skinny freshman. He was promoted to the varsity July 1 and got 34 at bats. He batted .441 in those limited plate appearances, but was clutch all the time, driving in 18 runs on those 34 at bats. He played outfield that season.

As a sophomore, Solberg again put up big numbers. He batted a career-high .473, drove in 41 runs and belted three home runs. He played first base that year, a position he manned for his last three years at West.

In 2009, Solberg batted .461 and started drawing all kinds of college interest. He knocked in 41 runs for the second straight year and belted eight home runs. This past season he batted .431, had 32 RBIs and hit three homers.

If that isn't enough, he also pitched 38 innings this year as the team's closer and allowed just seven earned runs. His ERA was 1.09.

"We've been lucky to have some very talented baseball players in my 13 years at West and Ryan is right up there with the best of them," Montez said. "He's definitely in the top three. He's one of the hardest working players I've seen. He's always hitting somewhere. I like to call him a baseball gym rat."

But baseball isn't the only thing Solberg does well. You name it, he's good at it.

This past season, he was the Classic 8 Conference player of the year in volleyball and a first-team All-State player. In basketball this past winter, he was a first-team all-conference selection. Add to his two player of the year awards in baseball and you have the makings of the most successful individual senior years in Waukesha County history.

"It's been a lot of fun this past year," Solberg said. "We had a good year in volleyball and did all right in basketball. And making it to state in baseball was a great way to finish things off. Winning the state player of the year is something I've been dreaming about since middle school. It's been great at West. But now I'm getting excited to give up the other sports and just focus on baseball."

While Solberg is as good as any one on the athletic field, perhaps most important is the fact he's just as good in the classroom. He graduated from West in June with a composite grade-point-average of 3.9.

"His GPA tells you a lot about what kind of kid Ryan Solberg is," Montez said. "He works extremely hard in the classroom and just as hard in the sports he plays. As a coach, you dream about having kids like Ryan. I hope to be around here coaching for a lot more years, but I don't know if I'll ever get a kid again like Ryan."

At UWM, Solberg is expected to play first base.

"I'm proud of how we did at West, but now I have to put that behind me and start thinking about playing college baseball," Solberg said. "It's going to be nice to just concentrate on baseball. In high school I had to spend a lot of time on volleyball and basketball. Now it's nothing but baseball."

Numbers game

Ryan Solberg was a consistent force during his four years with the Waukesha West baseball team.

2007 - .441 avg. 18 RBIs in 34 at-bats

2008 - .473 avg., 41 RBIs, 3 HRs

2009 - .461 avg., 41 RBIs, 8 HRs

2010 - .431 avg., 32 RBIs, 3 HRs.