Mr. Wilson Menaces Area Hurlers
North Idaho College baseball player Paul Wilson struck out last week for the first time since early March. His gaudy batting average of .447 three weeks ago is down to .400.
Every player should be so mired.
“The fluke is that he’s not still at .450,” NIC coach Jack Bloxom said, “because he’s that good a hitter.”
Truly outstanding hitters rarely strike out. Wilson has whiffed just four times in 115 at-bats - once in his last 101 plate appearances.
A prized batting average in the pros is .300. In college, .350 is a fine mark. Wilson’s .400 is within range of Pat Cooper’s school-record .426.
Unfortunately for NIC, Wilson’s the lone Cardinal batting better than .300 and now the team is battling to make the Region 18 Tournament. The Cards need to sweep Treasure Valley in a three-game home series today and Saturday to qualify.
“We’ve just seemed to find a way to lose,” Wilson said. “We know we can win.”
Knowing and doing are two different things. NIC is 4-11 in the North Division, 14-19 overall. The Cards show flashes (they swept a doubleheader from league-leading Southern Idaho last week), but more often flop (0-6 against Ricks).
Meanwhile, the left-handed hitting Wilson has been NIC’s most reliable weapon. He leads the team in runs batted in (28) and is second in runs scored (25).
“He has a pretty good eye and he’s doesn’t swing at many balls,” Bloxom said. “He climbs into the batter’s box with great concentration.”
On what is Wilson concentrating?
“I just try to zone up,” said the 21-year-old native of Prince George, British Columbia. “On the first pitch, if it’s not where I want it to be, I’m not going to swing.”
Growing up, Wilson did most of his swinging with a hockey stick, the sport of choice in Canada. He’s presently dealing with the Vancouver Canucks’ early exit from the NHL playoffs.
“I played ‘til I was 16,” said Wilson, who worked in his grandparents’ bowling alley for a couple of years after completing high school. “Baseball was kind of something to do in the summer before hockey started. Baseball’s not as big as hockey (in Canada), but it’s not bad.”
Wilson played in a city league before being referred to NIC by former Card Derek Knight, who is also from Prince George.
Wilson came as a catcher but quickly moved to third base. Currently he’s designated hitting - fittingly enough - because of a shoulder injury that limits his throwing.
“He’ll probably DH or play first next year,” said Bloxom, who believes Wilson has a future at a four-year program. “He’s a great, great kid and I would certainly hope he can go on because he’ll go swing it.”
Wilson, whose preseason goal was to bat .300, would like to give it a try.
“All the swings have really helped,” Wilson said. “Growing up, I never played that much. We started hitting upstairs (in the gym) here in January.”
He hasn’t stopped swinging - and connecting - since.
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