ARLINGTON, Va. -- Kyle Lewis took the mound for the Pioneer Baseball League's Ogden Raptors in late June, fulfilling a lifelong dream as he became the first Marymount University Baseball alumnus to reach the professional level.

Before signing with the Raptors for the 2025 season, Lewis played NCAA Division I baseball at Charleston Southern University (CSU). He transferred there after a four-year career at Marymount.

"I came to CSU ready for the Division I lifestyle because of my time at Marymount," Lewis said. "The standard the Marymount pitching staff was held to was huge for my growth. I was already prepared to go into the Division I system."

Lewis went 4-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 2/3 innings at Charleston Southern, striking out 46 batters. Scouts reportedly began taking interest in the tall right-hander during a midseason series against Mercer University, with the attention increasing during a Big South Conference series against UNC Asheville.

"I started throwing harder than I ever have in my life," he recalled. "My coach pulled me into his office the next day and told me there were a couple of people interested in me. After that, it just started going from there."

One month after Charleston Southern lost in the Big South Tournament finals, Lewis was invited to an independent baseball showcase in Florida.

"It was a tough environment at first," he said. "It wasn't easy because I didn't know what to expect, but I had a great time. I just wanted to get down there and make a name for myself."

After throwing live at-bats to other pro hopefuls, Lewis was pulled aside by a scout and told, "we're going to get you somewhere." The next day, he was on a plane to Utah to begin his professional career.

His road to professional ball was one of growth and mental transformation. Lewis was expected to contribute immediately at Marymount, but a critical loss off the field temporarily sidelined him after a promising start.

In spring 2021, in the early going of the season, he lost his father, Matt Lewis, after a five-year battle with cancer. Every member of the Marymount squad attended the memorial service to support their teammate.

"It was one of the more special moments in my coaching career, seeing the program really be there for Kyle," said head coach Mike Cassidy, who was an assistant at the time.

"We were a close-knit group, and I wanted to be with them," Lewis added. "When I came back, nobody said a word—they just hugged me. Instead of dwelling on it, I used it as motivation."

He dominated the rest of the season, pitching four shutout innings with three strikeouts in the Atlantic East Conference championship game against Immaculata. Marymount would go on to win its first-ever conference title and earn its first NCAA Tournament appearance.

"That moment was special," Cassidy reflected. "Kyle being a huge part of it made it that much more special because of what he was going through. Everybody is different in how they respond to huge events like that, but he was embraced by his teammates and was a huge part of the championship run."

Lewis posted a 2.65 ERA in nine appearances that first year, then followed with a 6.14 ERA as a sophomore. Though he struggled midseason in 2022, he ended the year with two scoreless outings.

His 2023 season, however, started poorly. After a disastrous start against Mitchell in Florida, his ERA ballooned to 15.63.

"I had one of the worst outings of my life," Lewis said. "It was then I realized I needed to figure it out and stop playing scared."

He began working with former Marymount pitching coach Shane Halley to improve his mindset and approach. The results followed—just three earned runs allowed over his next 15 innings.

That summer, playing for the Appalachian League's Danville Otterbots, Lewis made a key breakthrough. In his second outing, with the bases loaded and one out in the first inning, he recalls stepping off the mound and telling himself, "we're not doing this again." He struck out the next two batters and went on to pitch four scoreless innings.

"From that point forward, I did a complete 180," he said.

"He really came into his own that summer," Cassidy added. "It took off at that point."

In 2024, Lewis posted a 1.71 ERA in 42 innings, striking out 54 batters. He earned D3baseball.com All-Region honors, Atlantic East First Team All-Conference recognition and a D3baseball.com Team of the Week nod.

"All that had happened and everything I went through to fix my mindset made my senior season that much sweeter," Lewis said. "My teammates and coaches helped me through everything."

From Marymount to Charleston Southern and finally to the Pioneer League, his journey has been marked by perseverance.

"I think it's awesome for the program, but it also just hits the heartstrings differently," Cassidy said. "The growth he made as a person, to me, is what it's all about. It got me to the core."

For the rest of the summer, Lewis will continue to pitch for the Raptors, improving his skills and working toward the next step.

"I have now finally achieved my father's dream and my ultimate goal—to play professional baseball."