by KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Former Northeastern State baseball standout Ryan Helsley will be inducted into the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Hall of Fame Class of 2025, as announced by association officials on Thursday. Helsley was previously inducted into the Northeastern State Hall of Fame in 2023.
Since being selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, Helsley has continued to make history for NSU, becoming the first former student-athlete from the university to be enshrined in the MIAA Hall of Fame.
A dominant pitcher during his time with the NSU baseball team, Helsley earned the honor for his exceptional performance on the mound. He compiled a 4.06 ERA across 126.1 innings pitched, threw three complete games, and racked up 151 strikeouts. As a sophomore, he was the only underclassman to earn a spot on the 2015 All-MIAA First Team, following an impressive freshman season where he secured All-MIAA Second Team honors in 2014.
Helsley has since made his mark in Major League Baseball, becoming the first Northeastern State alum to be selected for the MLB All-Star Game—earning spots in 2022 and 2024. A key asset in the Cardinals’ bullpen, he led the National League with 49 saves this past season and capped off an outstanding 2024 campaign by winning the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award.
Helsley’s induction into the MIAA Hall of Fame will take place on Monday, June 2, during the MIAA Awards Ceremony, presented by Husch Blackwell, at the Kansas City Convention Center’s Music Hall.
