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The Davis family poses with a framed jersey -
JP Davis, Ryan's father, throws out the first pitch -
Ryan Davis' number on display outside the press box -
The Edmond North players stand on the first base line with military family members
J.P. Davis threw out possibly the most impactful pitch in Edmond North history Saturday afternoon.
His first pitch concluded a ceremony honoring his son, Sergeant First Class Ryan Davis, ahead of the Edmond North baseball team’s 6-3 win against Sapulpa in Edmond.
North retired Davis’ No. 5 jersey, making him the first Husky to receive such an honor.
In 2019, Davis was serving in Afghanistan as an Army Ranger. On Aug. 16, he suffered devastating injuries from a grenade attack. After a monumental effort to evacuate him out of the Middle East, he is now recovering at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. He has undergone 25 surgeries to date and continues to go through rehabilitation.
Davis’ father said the ceremony meant a lot.
“It was very special to the family, to all the people that have played here,” J.P. Davis said. “For them to recognize anyone that has graduated and went on to serve… it was very special.”
His family stood at home plate during the ceremony. The Huskies stood on the first-base line with a few of their own family members who serve or have served. Sapulpa lined the third-base line, and the North junior varsity players stood between the outfield and infield.
The public address announcer read a script, explaining who Davis was and what he has gone through. While Davis could not be there in person, North played a prerecorded message from Davis.
“Living in a country that will help you get back on your feet after you take a knock has been my greatest honor,” Davis said. “To all the staff and coaches at Edmond North, I’d like to thank you, for the amount of change one can make is based on the foundation on which he’s built from. I developed those very characteristics under your leadership. Thank you.”
Following Davis’ message, North presented a framed Davis No. 5 jersey to his family and unveiled a banner with his name and number on the press box wall.
After the national anthem and presentation of colors by the North JROTC color guard, Davis’ father threw the first pitch.
North softball coach Rick Nordyke was Davis’ baseball coach at North. He caught J.P. Davis’ first pitch.
“He was a kid that was a hard-nosed kid, and I knew in life, he would make it,” Nordyke said. “He’d always told me he wanted to be in the Army, and I knew when he took that desk job, I didn’t think he’d be there long. He loved what he was doing for our country.”
After the ceremony, a game still needed to be played. Sapulpa (16-9) struck first with an unearned run, but North (13-7) responded with six runs in the first three innings. The Chieftains scored two in the sixth but could not complete the comeback.
Senior Elijah Laus led the way. He hit 3-4 with a triple and two doubles. He also had 2 RBIs.
North coach Gary Bandy said he has never met Davis, but he still felt the ceremony was awesome.
“We’ve all heard the stories, we all know about Ryan, even though the majority of us haven’t met him,” Bandy said. “We know how important it is, and how much he means to, not only our program, but to our country and to a lot of people because of the way that he’s fought and the things that he’s done.”
Having this ceremony before playing Sapulpa was no coincidence. Sapulpa coach Steve Irvine was Davis’ teammate at Eastern Oklahoma State. Davis played there after graduating from North, then transferred to UT Arlington to finish his career.