Terriers' Barzo commits to Ryerson

Ontario Terriers outfielder Ben Barzo (Orillia, Ont.) has committed to play for the Ryerson Rams. Photo: Ryerson Rams.

March 9, 2022

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Outfielder Ben Barzo will head to Ryerson University following the Terriers 2022 season.

The Orillia product announced his commitment to the Rams earlier this week. When considering his options, Ryerson came out on the top of his list for both academics and athletics.

"Ryerson was the right fit for a few reasons," he said. "For starters, their journalism program is one of, if not the best in the country. That was extremely enticing for me as I really want to improve my writing and succeed as a journalist in the future. On the baseball side, Ryerson seems to be a team on the rise in OUA baseball and I really wanted to be a part of a team chasing their first championship."

The Rams are a relatively new program, having joined the Ontario University Athletics baseball circuit in 2012. They're coming off a 2021 campaign that saw them finish 6-7 in the regular season. At the OUA Regional Qualifier in Sudbury they went 2-1 before losing in the final to the University of Toronto.

Terriers 18U manager Dean Dicenzo believes Barzo will have no problem fitting in on the Rams roster.

"Ben is a great teammate," Dicenzo said. "He understands the game, is coachable and eager to learn every time he steps on the field."

Coming to the Terriers was a defining moment in Barzo's career. It was a decision that helped put him on the path he's currently on.

"I went from having a lot of success in AA to playing for an extremely talented and deep organization where I struggled right out of the gate," he said. "Being in this environment has pushed me to get my game to a level where I felt I belonged. It has taught me how to compete with strong opponents. Both coach Dicenzo and coach Gasparotto have high expectations and never allow me to be content. They always encourage me to be better every day."

Ryerson has an enrollment of over 36,000 students and is located in the heart of downtown Toronto.