Bowling Green State University Athletics
Jake Wilson Named MAC Freshman Of The Year
May 23, 2017 | Baseball
AVON, Ohio – Jake Wilson, a center fielder on the Bowling Green State University baseball team, was named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, the league announced Tuesday (May 23) evening. Wilson becomes the second-ever Falcon freshman to earn the honor. Former Major Leaguer and BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee, Andy Tracy, earned the same honor in 1993.
Incredibly, Wilson lived up to the enormous amount of hype heading into his rookie season. After being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2016 MLB Draft, Wilson was named the MAC's Preseason Freshman of the Year by both D1Baseball.com and Baseball America.
Wilson finished the season with a remarkable stretch of games. He recorded 18 hits over the final six games, hitting .621 (18-for-29) with multiple hits in each ballgame. He went 8-for-10 in the final series of the year at Elon, and opened the series with a 5-for-6 night at the plate.
The New Lowell, Ontario, Canada native led all MAC freshmen with a.305 batting average on the season, which also led the team. His team-high 31 RBI were also tops in the league amongst freshmen, and were the most RBI recorded by a true freshman at Bowling Green since Jon Berti registered 34 in 2009. The rookie also led the Falcons with eight (8-for-11) stolen bases and a .387 on-base percentage.
Wilson, who had one home run and five doubles in 2017, scored 19 runs on the year and ranked second on the team with 57 hits. The freshman posted a .978 fielding percentage, while playing and starting in 48 of Bowling Green's 49 games in center field.
The speedy center fielder tied for second on the club with six multiple-RBI games, and led the Falcons with 17 multiple-hit ballgames. He drew 18 walks on the season, and struck out just 24 times.
The highlight of his season may have come on May 12, when the Falcons defeated Western Michigan, 4-3. The freshman went 4-for-5 at the plate, and recorded BG's final three RBI. He tied the game in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out single, and then hit a walk-off single in the 10th.
Incredibly, Wilson lived up to the enormous amount of hype heading into his rookie season. After being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2016 MLB Draft, Wilson was named the MAC's Preseason Freshman of the Year by both D1Baseball.com and Baseball America.
Wilson finished the season with a remarkable stretch of games. He recorded 18 hits over the final six games, hitting .621 (18-for-29) with multiple hits in each ballgame. He went 8-for-10 in the final series of the year at Elon, and opened the series with a 5-for-6 night at the plate.
The New Lowell, Ontario, Canada native led all MAC freshmen with a.305 batting average on the season, which also led the team. His team-high 31 RBI were also tops in the league amongst freshmen, and were the most RBI recorded by a true freshman at Bowling Green since Jon Berti registered 34 in 2009. The rookie also led the Falcons with eight (8-for-11) stolen bases and a .387 on-base percentage.
Wilson, who had one home run and five doubles in 2017, scored 19 runs on the year and ranked second on the team with 57 hits. The freshman posted a .978 fielding percentage, while playing and starting in 48 of Bowling Green's 49 games in center field.
The speedy center fielder tied for second on the club with six multiple-RBI games, and led the Falcons with 17 multiple-hit ballgames. He drew 18 walks on the season, and struck out just 24 times.
The highlight of his season may have come on May 12, when the Falcons defeated Western Michigan, 4-3. The freshman went 4-for-5 at the plate, and recorded BG's final three RBI. He tied the game in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out single, and then hit a walk-off single in the 10th.
Players Mentioned
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