Players

Right-handed pitcher Ryan Beaird returns to Sioux City for a second season after making his professional debut with the X’s in 2025.  The San Antonio, Texas native worked 0.2 of a scoreless inning on August 15 at home against Winnipeg in his first professional appearance and would finish the season with a 1.08 ERA in six calls out of the pen. He tossed 8.1 innings with nine strikeouts for Sioux City in 2025. Beaird would allow an earned run on August 17 in one inning but then would work four scoreless appearances over 6.2 innings to close out the regular season. Beaird pitched a season-long three innings in a relief appearance on August 21 in a 7-5 win over Lincoln at Lewis and Clark Park. He would punch out five while yielding one unearned run in the game against the Goldeyes.

Beaird joined the Explorers after a four-year college career between the University of Texas San Antonio and Tarleton State University. In 2025 Beaird spent his only season at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. Beaird went 1-4 with a 8.67 ERA in 27 innings, going 1-4 with one save.

Prior to pitching for the Explorers last season Beaird spent the early part of the summer, with the St. Cloud Rox of the Northwoods League following his only season at Tarleton State University. For the Rox he went 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 18 relief appearances. Beaird pitched in 30.1 innings with 36 strikeouts earning a save.

Beaird spent three seasons at the University of Texas at San Antonio from 2022 to 2024. In his three seasons in the Alamo City, Beaird appeared in 57 games with 13 starts, recording 94 strikeouts with an 8-5 overall record. In 2024 Beaird posted a 2-0 record in 28.1 innings for the UTSA with a 5.72 ERA. He struck out 30 while giving up 18 earned runs on 36 hits. Beaird made four starts and 13 appearances out of the pen. The right-hander spent the summer of 2024 in the Texas Collegiate League, going 0-4 with a 4.11 ERA in seven starts for Seguin.

Beaird went 4-2 at UTSA in 2023, making 15 appearances in relief and another four starts for the Road Runners. He would post a 4.50 ERA across 34 innings with 28 strikeouts, yielding 17 earned runs on 33 hits. Once again, he saw time in a college summer league in 2023 in the Northwoods League with Thunder Bay. He went 1-2 in seven relief outings with a 10.80 ERA in 8.1 innings.

In his first season at UTSA, Beaird went 2-3 in 2022 with a 7.32 ERA in 35.2 innings. He struck out 36 in 21 games while making five starts. During the summer season, he pitched in four games for San Luis Obispo of the California Collegiate League, tossing 9.1 innings with 16 strikeouts and a 4.82 ERA.

Beaird was born in Indianapolis, Indiana but was raised in Texas. A native of Austin, Beaird was a unanimous All-District selection at Reagan High School in Austin and earned Rawlings Perfect Game All-American honors in 2020 as a senior. He went 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA and threw two no-hitters at Reagan. Beaird was a two-sport star at Reagan, playing both baseball and football. In 2019 he helped Reagan to a state semifinal appearance up and was an academic All-District Selection. In 2018 his squad was a state runner-up in the Lone Star State.

Beaird’s family has several sporting connections. His uncle Brad Beaird played baseball at UTSA from 1993-94, helping lead the Roadrunners to the 1994 conference title. His grandfather, Rick Beaird, played basketball at Southern Illinois and his grandfather, Jacques Demers led Montreal to the 1993 Stanley Cup as their head coach before having a political career as a Canadian senator. Beaird’s father Damon played baseball at Odessa College (Texas), leading team to the conference championship before playing at USC Aiken.