An East Noble graduate, VanRyn pitched briefly in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs, California Angels, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. A first-round pick by Montreal in 1990, he played as part of eight Major League organizations before retiring in 1998 with an 0-2 record and 5.74 earned-run average in 15.2 innings pitched over 26 games. His best season was likely 1998 when he pitched in nine games with the Cubs and had a 3.38 earned run average despite not allowing a run in his first eight outings. VanRyn was inducted into the Northeast Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.