2025 Defensive Player of the Year: RD Lyons-Center Mass
RD Lyons played 4 years of college baseball at Webber University in Central Florida. After graduating, he moved back home to Port Saint Lucie and began a career with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, where he has worked for the past 5 years. RD is currently assigned to the School Resource Division, where he doubles as the head softball coach at Ft. Pierce Central high school.
In 2022, Hall of Famer Ryan Register recruited RD through civilian ball, to the Police Softball circuit and he made an instant impact. In the first tournament of the year, the Aselton Memorial, RD turned heads on defense with aerobatic diving plays in center field and with his dynamic throwing ability, hosing folks at 2nd, 3rd and home plate in separate games. Members of other teams also noticed his speed out of the box, as he hustled out several infield hits, while helping his team to a top finish in the Gold division.
Later that year, as other teams saw RD play across the nation, they consistently asked Manager/Coach Denio Rodriguez, where he found this “kid,” with his youth like appearance, and the answer was simple, “that is Register’s boy.” Center Mass went on to win the Police Softball World Series in the Gold Division and RD made the All Tournament Team for his efforts at the plate and locking down center field.
The 2023 season began and it was more of the same. RD locked down center field for Center Mass and continued having no fear, hosing people trying taking extra bases and making ESPN highlight reel catches, while saving runs, taking away extra base hits and leading his team to the 2023 Waxahatchee National Championship in the Gold Division. When it was time to hand out awards for the tournament, the opposing team who took second in this event, echoed boos when RD didn’t win the MVP. He did however, win the tournament Defensive MVP, saving countless runs in the windy playing conditions on the final day and finished second on the team in average.
In 2024, RD had made nearly every team on the circuit, well aware of his playing ability. Teams have also seen RD going from the lead off man, to the teams 3 hitter, leading Center Mass most weekends in every offensive category. In Vegas last fall at the PS.com World Series, RD was at the plate and hit a homerun, people are still talking about to this day. Center Mass was playing on Dodgers Stadium, when RD hit a 3 run blast, that not only cleared the net in left field, it traveled way into the parking lot and stuck in the middle of the metal roof, over some covered parking spaces. RD’s abilities are evident and he is no longer a secret to the PS.com circuit.