Wilson continues to be a constant for URI baseball

When Tyler Wilson was four years old, his father introduced him to the game of baseball. Now, 16 years later, the University of Rhode Island sophomore has emerged as one of the premier pitchers in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

On Monday, Wilson was named the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. He was awarded after his complete-game performance against Fordham University on Friday, in which he didn’t allow a run and struck out 10.

This honor just adds to Wilson’s long list of accolades that he’s received in his first two years at URI. Last year alone, he was named the A-10 Pitcher of the Year, the A10 Rookie of the Year, an A-10 First Team selection, the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association Rookie of the Year and All-New England First Team and the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team. And that’s just a fraction of his accolades.

“To me, it’s nice to get an award,” Wilson said. “It’s cool, but it’s just a title and doesn’t really mean that much. I’m just here to do my job. I’m here to win games and put my team in the best place to win.”

This season, Wilson leads the conference with 61 strikeouts, while holding opposing batters to a .193 batting average. Also, his 6-1 record gives him the tie for the most wins in the A-10. Over Wilson’s last four starts, he has recorded a 1.16 ERA in 31 innings.

If you follow URI baseball, Wilson’s performance on the field this year is no surprise. Last year, he posted a 6-3 record and recorded a 2.16 ERA. In his 87.1 innings pitched, Wilson allowed just two home runs.

“My whole family really supports me, and I can’t thank them enough,” Wilson said. “It’s motivation for me to keep working hard for them.”

Wilson’s recruitment process began in his sophomore year of high school. He said St. John’s University and URI expressed the most interest in him. During his junior year’s winter break, he committed to URI.

“I chose URI because I like the direction of the program, and it just seemed like a really good fit for me,” Wilson said.

Wilson said he has always dreamed of playing Major League Baseball. With the season he is having, on top of last year’s success, that dream has made significant steps toward becoming a reality.

“Of course [professional baseball] is always in the back of my mind, but when it comes down to it, I’m living in the moment,” Wilson said. “I’m just taking everyday as it comes, and am not taking anything for granted.”

The URI baseball team is _-_ on the season. They play today at 3:30 p.m. at home as Quinnipiac University visits Kingston.