Baseball: Wilson brings versatility, toughness to UL – Cajun has no-nonsense attitude

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, Feb. 19, 2014

“Thank God,” Robichaux said.

“We were so worried when we took that batting helmet off and saw that blood coming from his ear. We were scared to death.”

But Wilson?

The senior lefty just wanted to get back to baseball.

It’s the sort of toughness Robichaux loves to see in an individual, and wants his team to exhibit too.

It, also, however, makes it hard to figure out just what is the best way to use Wilson.

The product of Owasso High in Owasso, Okla., and transfer from Oklahoma’s Seminole State College can contribute both on the mound and in the outfield.

He actually was UL’s Opening Night starting centerfielder in 2013, but wound up playing only 16 games in the outfield.

That’s because the Cajuns needed his arm for 22 appearances including 12 starts, and he responded with a 6-4 record, a 3.25 ERA and one save in his 83.0 innings pitched.

“The coaches communicated with me really well,” Wilson said. “We just didn’t have enough pitching last year, so I took it pretty easy.

“I knew my role was to do whatever would help the team win, and I accepted that, and it was fine with me.

“I like the outfield a lot, but I like pitching too,” he added. “But it doesn’t matter to me what I do. Just whatever helps the team out most.”

Cajun coaches, though, understand that deep down Wilson didn’t want to be forgotten as an outfielder.

“He waited his turn last year. That outfield was full,” said Robichaux, whose Cajuns are coming off a 2013 NCAA Regional appearance. “And before he left (for home after last season) we talked about making sure he’d get the opportunity to do both, because he wanted to do both when he came back this year.

“With (outfielder) Dex Kjerstad leaving, we knew it would give him an opportunity to get in there.”

Handling split duties, however, is no easy task.

“A lot of times you find the pitcher; he lacks hitting. A lot of times you find the hitter; he kind of lacks pitching, because they’re both two tough crafts,” Robichaux said. “And very rarely sometimes do you find a kid that can do both.”

But Wilson can, and well.

He’s hitting .375 early this season with six RBIs, including the three-run homer, in eight at-bats.

Starting on the mound on weekends and roaming the outfield when not pitching, however, isn’t exactly ideal because of the toll it can take.

“It’s hard to find a guy that can be competitive on both sides. It really is,” Robichaux said. “Most of the time what you’re gonna find is a relief pitcher/position player that can maybe come in in the back end of a game.

“It’s very hard to start and play a position, because you’re carrying so much bad blood in the arm, so much soreness, from 100 pitches, and now you’re going out playing a position for two-to-three days. I mean, you’re headed for arm surgery somewhere along the way.”

So this year, with their starting pitching bolstered the additions of transfers Carson Baranik and Greg Milhorn, the Cajuns’ plan was to throw Wilson late in games and to play him at times in the outfield as well.

“But now that he’s gonna be so advantageous to us in the lineup,” Robichaux said, “it’s gonna be a little harder to use him as a pitcher – just simply because if he’s gonna play in a three-game series he might have to come out of the pen on Friday (as opposed to deep in games on a Saturday or Sunday).”

So that has Robichaux thinking now that perhaps Wilson can work as a midweek starter, freeing him up for outfield duty on weekends.

“He just plays hard every day,” Robichaux said.

“If he stays that kind of ‘cog’ in the lineup in the 3-4 hole for us, and maybe can’t relief pitch, there’s nothing to say that we can’t start him in the middle of the week, then let him have Thursday off, then play the outfield three games and not worry about him pitching.”

Wilson did have a tough time, though, against two lefties he faced Sunday, when he came straight out of left field to throw with UL protecting a one-run lead with one out in the ninth.

He allowed one batter a single, and walked the other, then watched freshman Reagan Bazar safely close things for the Cajuns.

Wilson, though, is fine with going straight from the outfield to the mound when need be.

“I like doing that,” he said.

Robichaux chalks off Sunday’s appearance more to missing time before the season because of his concussion than not having warmup time in the pen.

And leaves open the option of further relief duty for Wilson.

“He hasn’t really been on the mound,” Robichaux said. “So, out of fairness to him, I really think the more he bullpens with me and the more he gets his velocity back up (the better he’ll be).”

Whatever Wilson winds up doing the most this season, Robichaux is just happy he’ll be around to do it.

“The collision, we were worried we could have lost him,” he said. “Then (getting hit by the pitch) – I mean, he could have broken his cheekbone. I’ve had players do that before, and (had to) put a steel plate in their face.

“Thank God it hit in him in the back of the head, on the helmet.”