BUIES CREEK – Former Campbell pitcher Ryan Thompson pitched 1.1 scoreless innings and earned the Game 7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS to help the Arizona Diamondbacks advance to the World Series.
Coming in with two outs in the bottom of the 5th inning, Thompson retired the next four Phillies’ batters in only 10 pitches to the tune of two groundouts, a pop out, and a line out.
Thompson has become a critical piece for the Diamondbacks rotation this postseason. In addition to earning the win last night, he has pitched 10.2 innings across eight games. He has allowed only three earned runs off 10 hits in addition to eight strikeouts.
Thompson, who was picked up by the Diamondbacks in August after being released by the Tampa Bay Rays, will play in the World Series for the second time in his career. During the 2020 season, he pitched 2.2 innings, allowing no hits and three strikeouts across three games against the Dodgers.
The Turner, Ore. native was Campbell’s first two-time All-American, leading the nation with a 0.88 ERA in 2013. In 2014, Thompson fashioned a 1.33 ERA and a 7-2 record with 17 saves for the Camels. He added 87 strikeouts in 88 innings pitched across 39 appearances.
While leading Campbell to the 2014 Big South Championship, he was named tournament MVP, pitching in all five of CU’s tourney wins with a 1-0 mark and three saves in nine scoreless innings.
Thompson was also a First Team All-Big South performer in 2014 after earning Big South Pitcher of the Year honors in 2013.
In addition to a conference tournament title in 2014, Thompson also led the Camels to a Big South regular season crown in 2013, producing back to back 40-win seasons. In the 2014 Columbia Regional, No. 4 seed CU picked up its first-ever NCAA Regional win, knocking off third-seeded Old Dominion 4-1 in 12 innings.
The Diamondbacks will face the American League Champions Texas Rangers in the World Series which begins Friday, October 27, in Arlington, Texas.
