Wilcox ready for national tour
Some sports fans enjoy visiting different Major League Baseball stadiums during their summer vacations.
Cole Wilcox and his family will be taking that one step further.
The rising Heritage High School senior and flame-throwing righthanded pitcher will not just be visiting San Diego’s Petco Park and Chicago’s iconic Wrigley Field in the next few weeks, Wilcox will be showcasing his talents on the same fields where the Padres and Cubs play.
The first stop will be Wrigley for the 2017 Under Armour AllAmerican Baseball Game, which will take place this Saturday, July 29. He will then head west for the Perfect Game All-American Classic, which will be held on Aug. 13.
The folks back home will be able to see Wilcox in action as both games are slated to be broadcast on the MLB Network.
“It’s going to be exciting, just thinking about all the great players who have played (in those parks),” he said. “Just to be part of the whole experience is going to be awesome. I’m honored and really excited. It’s always been a dream of mine, ever since I’ve been pitching, to go play in these two events. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity.”
Wilcox says he plans to make the most of each trip and soak up all the atmosphere he can.
“I just want to capture it all, not take it for granted and enjoy every moment I’m there,” he added. “I’ll definitely be having fun. Anytime you get to play baseball, it’s fun, but I’ll be focused and ready to go when I’m out there.”
But the upcoming trips to Chicago and San Diego won’t be the end of Wilcox’s excellent baseball adventure.
Six days after the Perfect Game AllAmerican Classic, Wilcox will pack up and head for Minnesota, where the Generals’ ace will be competing for one of 20 rosters spots on USA Baseball’s 18U National Team.
Wilcox was recently named to the squad’s 40-man roster. He and other 39 hopefuls from 17 different states will participate in the 18U National Team Trials and the final 20-man roster will be announced on Aug. 24.
Should he make the team, he will play in a series of four exhibition games against Iowa Western Community College, the Minnesota Blizzard and Madison College from Aug. 2629 before traveling to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada for the 2017 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup.
“Getting to play for your country is always an honor,” Wilcox added. “It’s something I was expecting going into the season.”
Wilcox said he was invited to try out for the National Team by Matt Blood, a former St. Louis Cardinals scout, who is now the 18U National Team Director for USA Baseball.
“He called me and wanted me to come to the tryout,” Wilcox continued. “I just jumped all over (the chance) and I’m glad I did. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in baseball. I can’t wait to get out to Minnesota in a few weeks.”
Plenty of eyes are expected to be on the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder on the coming weeks, especially the eyes of Major League scouts. Wilcox was recently clocked at 97 miles per hour during the Perfect Game WWBA 17U National Championships at the Lakepoint Complex in Cartersville.
But Wilcox, who committed to the University of Georgia as a sophomore, says he isn’t thinking about next June’s Major League Baseball Draft.
“Right now, the only thing that’s guaranteed is that I have a spot at Georgia,” he said. “That’s all I’m focused on right now and whatever happens is up to God and His plan.”
Local players earn All-Tournament honors
Wilcox was part of a contingent of local players who recently were named to the Perfect Game WWBA 17U National Championship AllTournament Team, following the event at Lakepoint earlier this month.
The righty went 1-0 and allowed just three hits and no walks in 6.2 innings pitched for his eXposure Baseball 17 Prime team. Wilcox struck out 12 batters and finished with a 0.00 earned run average.
Also making the AllTournament Team as pitchers were Nathan Camp and Ammon Murphy (Ringgold), Tripp Church and Justin Morris (Heritage), Garren Mauldin (LFO) and Ty Fisher (LaFayette).
Camp (DRB Elite) was 3-0 with a 2.60 ERA in 21.1 innings. He struck out 22 batters and walked 12, while Murphy (Team Rawlings PSA 17) had a 0.00 ERA in 4.2 innings of work, allowing three hits and five walks with two strikeouts.
Church (Chattanooga Cyclones) had a 1.60 ERA with four hits allowed, three walks and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings, while Morris (Chattanooga Cyclones) had a 0.00 ERA in 3.1 innings. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out three.
Mauldin (Team Rawlings PSA 17) had a 3.90 ERA in nine innings on the hill. He walked 10 and fanned 10 with seven walks, while Fisher (Titans Baseball 16’s Orange) had a 0.00 ERA in 6.1 innings. He gave up eight hits struck out three and walked two.
Fisher was also named to the WWBA 16U National Championship All-Tournament Team the following week. He had a 1.60 ERA in 8.2 innings, giving up 12 hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts.
Three other local players were named to the WWBA 17U National Championship AllTournament Team as hitters.
Ringgold’s Andrew Tarver (eXposure Baseball Prime 17) batted .283 with four doubles, two triple, a home run, 16 RBI and nine stolen bases. Heritage’s Alex Coulter (Chattanooga Cyclones) hit .300 with a double, while LFO’s Logan Gruetter (Team Rawlings PSA 17) batted .361 with a pair of doubles, a stolen base and four RBIs.