By Austin Lloyd Posted April 26, 2019
Since Ridge Ricketts was a little kid, he has loved the outdoors, whether it is playing sports or looking at wildlife. His father, Todd Ricketts, showed him the outdoors; because of this, he has always looked up to his father.
“My dad has always supported me, and if I needed equipment, he would always buy it for me,” said Ricketts. “One time, he bought me a batting cage, and if I wanted to hit, he would drop what he was doing to go help me.”
He has always had a passion for baseball, but hunting is a big part of his family. All of the Ricketts boys were raised as hunters.
“My dad’s a big outdoorsman, and when we were little, he would take us on his hunts,” said Ricketts. “I’ve played baseball ever since tee-ball and have been hunting as long as I can remember.”
“My brother Canyon is a big outdoorsman as well,” said Ricketts.
While growing up, he had to make a tough decision: football and wrestling, or hunting.
“I grew up playing baseball, football, and wrestling,” said Ricketts. “As I got into high school, I kinda just outgrew that and wanted to focus more on the outdoors.”
Ridge’s baseball coaches think very highly of him.
“Ridge is a hardworking ball player with a lot of baseball knowledge,” said coach Harmon. “He is a cage rat who loves to hit and understands the mechanics of the swing.”
He plans on going to college at the University of Reno. He would like to pursue his passion for the outdoors and become a Wildlife Ecologist. This is a career he has had his eyes on for a while now. With help from his parents and scholarships, he hopes to make his dream a reality.
“I would like to be a wildlife biologist because I want to wake up and love what I do,” said Ricketts.
He has made a lot of memories in high school, whether with friends or coaches, but he also has some regrets.
“I will always remember the time Jacob Marriott tripped over second,” said Ricketts. “I definitely regret not being a three-sport athlete throughout high school.”
While still indecisive, he has thought about playing baseball in college.
“I have always thought about playing college ball, but then I just want to focus on going to UNR and getting my degree more than anything,” said Ricketts.
