January 14, 2008
Alex Wilson, a right-handed pitcher from Winthrop University, has joined the Texas A&M baseball program and will be eligible for the 2008 season, head coach Rob Childress announced Monday.
Wilson, a native of Hurricane, W.Va., had successful Tommy John surgery this past summer and, if rehabilitation continues successfully, could be available to pitch sometime this spring. He will be classified as a junior athletically.
?We?â„¢re very proud to have him in our program,? head coach Rob Childress said. ?He?â„¢s got a tough, hard-nosed mindset. He had a great two years at Winthrop, and when he does take the mound for us, I know he?â„¢s going to make a difference because he?â„¢s so tough.?
A two-time first-team All-Big South selection, Wilson posted a career 19-7 mark with a 3.21 ERA in his two seasons with the Eagles. In 249 innings of work, he allowed just 210 hits while striking out 240 and holding opponents to a .229 average.
Wilson was named Collegiate Baseball?â„¢s National Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2006 after going 13-3 on the mound and leading his team to the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional championship game, where they lost to eventual national runner-up North Carolina. During the season he recorded wins over Clemson, Alabama, Wake Forest and Miami, among others.
As a first-team preseason All-American last spring, Wilson went 6-4 while posting a 2.51 ERA. He held conference opponents to a paltry .175 batting average in earning first-team all-league honors for the second straight year.
Wilson was the consensus West Virginia State Player of the Year as a senior at Hurricane High School. A three-time all-conference, all-county and all-state honoree, he led his team to the state championship as a freshman, and his No. 5 jersey is retired by the Redskin baseball program.
?It?â„¢s exciting to be here at Texas A&M,? Wilson said. ?I?â„¢ve come a long way from home, but it?â„¢s definitely been worth it. I believe I?â„¢ve found a great fit here, and from what I hear it?â„¢s the best atmosphere ever to play in, so I?â„¢m excited to get the chance to experience it.?
The Texas A&M baseball team opens practice on Feb. 1 in preparation for their season opener on Friday, Feb. 22 against Northern Colorado at Olsen Field. Season tickets for the 39-game home schedule are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE or logging on to aggieathletics.com.