By Spenser Hickey
Managing Editor
The Ohio Wesleyan community lost Athletics Hall of Famer Ryan Missler ’98 on August 9 following a car accident on Route 33 in Dublin, Ohio. He was 38.
Missler started on Ohio Wesleyan’s baseball team for three years and after graduation played two years in the independent minor leagues; he joined the Hall of Fame in 2008.
“He was one of the most outstanding baseball players that Ohio Wesleyan ever had,” said Roger Ingles, current Athletic Director and Missler’s coach on the baseball team.
“…He was just an outstanding player, outstanding person and everybody looked up to him. He was a leader on and off the field.”
Jodi Andes, Dublin Police Department spokeswoman, said the accident remains under investigation but did not have further details at this time.
In his time at OWU, Missler played third base and shortstop, earning the Player of the Year award from the North Coast Athletic Conference his senior year. He led the NCAC in batting average at .485, fourth best in OWU history, and set the OWU record for most home runs in a season.
That year, the Bishops defeated Ohio State’s baseball team 10-7 in the Buckeyes’ first home game; Missler had two home runs in the game.
“He was easily the best player on the field and they (Ohio State) were Big Ten champs that year so I think that tells you what kind of caliber of player he was,” Ingles said.
In his junior year, he was named to the All-NCAC first team, having been a nominee for that selection sophomore year, tying for fourth on OWU’s list of most runs batted in during a season.
His three year career batting average of .400 was fifth-highest in OWU history and he tied the  home run record at 27.
Following his time in the minor leagues, Missler worked alongside his brother Aaron as vice presidents of the family business, Missler’s Irrigation, based out of Dublin; their father Mike is president.
“After he graduated, he played in our golf outing every single year, he and his father and brother,” Ingles said.
“Their irrigation company did a lot of work on campus…he’s one of those guys that you get as a coach that’s kind of a once in a lifetime person. He’s just going to be missed by a lot of people, our thoughts are with his family.”