Cal Poly ballplayer is back home, starring at the park where he was once a fan

Lauri Tayman was on the phone with her baseball player son learning that he had just entered the transfer portal when she told him to pull out a notebook.

Within 30 minutes of Ryan Tayman entering the portal as a second-year player at Cal, programs from the Big Ten and SEC were already reaching out to the Arroyo Grande High School grad.

His phone wasn’t slowing down, so his mom did what she could from the other end of the line. She told him to write out the pros and cons for every school reaching out and let the list make sense of the noise.

“I didn’t want to be a part of his decision,” Lauri said. “He had to choose where he felt was going to be his next home and where he felt he was going to thrive.”

One of those names on the list was Cal Poly — the program in his backyard, the stadium where he’d attended games as a kid, the school that once felt like they had no spot for him.

But this time, it felt different.

Cal Poly is a homecoming for SLO County player

Before he ever wore a Cal Poly uniform, Tayman was just another young fan at Baggett Stadium, watching games and waiting for the chance to chase down a foul ball in the stands.

The Central Coast native grew up in Grover Beach and played for the SLO Tigers club team, even attending Larry Lee’s baseball camps long before he wore No. 16 on the back of his jersey.

His performance at Arroyo Grande High School earned him San Luis Obispo County Player of the Year honors in 2023 as a catcher.

Yet, despite gathering all-star accolades and first-team honors throughout his prep career, Tayman had only one Division I offer.

And it wasn’t from his local university.

During his recruiting process out of high school, Tayman had a brief conversation with Cal Poly Head Coach Lee, but it didn’t go far. With the Mustangs already set at catcher, he said he didn’t feel there was a real opportunity in San Luis Obispo coming out of high school.

So Tayman decided to commit to Cal, where he spent a season in the Pac-12 before the program’s move to the ACC. In his first year, Tayman was known primarily as a backup catcher and designated hitter.

Year two is when his role expanded behind the plate with 17 starts at catcher, while continuing to produce offensively before he decided to enter the transfer portal. His growth on both sides of the game showed the potential he had yet to fully tap into.

Commitment is something Tayman takes seriously, and his time at Cal was no different. But when the fit no longer matched his vision, he decided to enter the transfer portal in search of a program that did.

“When he entered the transfer portal, I couldn’t even breathe,” Lauri said. “I was so scared because you never know what’s going to happen. There’s always that chance that no one’s going to pick you up.”

Northwestern, Duke and Georgia were some of the names of the teams who reached out.

But before Tayman even knew what he was looking for, Cal Poly had already figured it out.

“They totally understood my situation and what I needed,” Tayman said. “It was just the best fit.”

Catching position comes open at Cal Poly

Cal Poly was coming off one of its most historic seasons in program history when the transfer portal opened. The Mustangs had just won the Big West championship and advanced to the Eugene Regional before falling to Arizona.

At the time, Jack Collins anchored the catcher position after transferring from Long Beach, quickly becoming one of the team’s top hitters and earning All-Big West Second Team honors last season.

With Collins set to graduate and eventually sign with the Texas Rangers, a gap was opening up behind the plate — one that Tayman would go on to fill.

The same opportunity that once felt out of reach came back around.

Tayman would now call Cal Poly home. And he’s making the most of his chance, thanks in no small part to his power stroke.

Tayman already has hit 12 home runs this season. In a March series against UC Riverside, he homered in every game, then carried that hot streak into the following game against Fresno State on March 31, where he hit his third grand slam of the season and tied Cal Poly’s Division I program record.

As of Wednesday, he was hitting .329 and led the team with a 1.055 OPS, 40 RBIs and a .638 slugging percentage.

Coach Larry Lee has high praise for catcher

His coach has not been shy about the value Tayman has brought to the Mustangs.

“He’s actually the most important player on the team,” Lee said.

Tayman has helped propel Cal Poly to a 35-22 record, 20-10 in the Big West, where the team is tied for third place with Hawaii behind Santa Barbara at 26-4 and UC Irvine at 22-8.

To Lee, the home runs are almost secondary. What stands out is the work Tayman does before each pitch, from studying hitters to setting up behind the plate and controlling the game.

“He makes the pitchers better,” Lee added. “While he’s out in the field, he gives us valuable information from behind the plate, pertaining to the opposing hitters.”

That impact has brought Tayman national recognition.

He was named to the Buster Posey Midseason Watchlist, which features 50 of the top Division I catchers in the country. Cal Poly has a strong track record of developing catchers, with a player represented on the watchlist in each of the past six seasons.

“It’s cool to be recognized for stuff like that, but the main goal is to win,” Tayman said. “It’s a testament to the pitchers, too, and the coaches here because they’ve all helped me develop.”

Each pitcher on Cal Poly’s staff has a different personality on the mound, and Tayman has made it his job to know all of them.

Under pitching coach Seth Moir, he has learned to study each pitcher’s tendencies, what setups they prefer and how they carry themselves in tough situations. What happens behind the plate, he said, is just as important as what happens in the batter’s box.

While his explosiveness on offense may get the attention, Tayman said defense has always been at the center of his game.

“Being a captain and controlling the ball is huge,” he said. “I want to be a defensive catcher first for this team.”

Home happened to be the best fit

Tayman will tell you coming home wasn’t the reason he chose Cal Poly. There were pros and cons lists for a reason.

He made the decision the same way anyone would: weighing fit over familiarity.

But seeing friends and family show up to Baggett Stadium, it’s hard to pretend the location was just a footnote.

“It wasn’t about being back home,” Tayman said. “But being back home is a plus. My family gets to come, and it’s just where I grew up playing. It’s pretty awesome the way it worked out, and I’m so glad I chose this place.”