The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1137844
16 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK GETTING TO KNOW: Wilson was selected No. 15 overall in the MLB Draft after hitting .335 with 16 home runs and 57 runs bat- ted in for the Wolfpack this past season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN JUNIOR SHORTSTOP ■ WILL WILSON Was there some sentimentality down the stretch this season for you? "Kind of. You always want to go on a run, and I've never made it out of regionals." What was it like to hear NC State head coach Elliott Avent call you the best shortstop he's ever had? "It's nice to hear feedback from other people. They've had a lot of great short- stops here. To be compared to some of them is a great honor." When you signed with NC State, did you want to live up to that shortstop tradition? "No, not really. Coming in, we had a lot of guys. I was just looking to find a way to help the team. It turned out to be a really good freshman year for me. "I had some great mentors, like Joe Dunand. I just tried to keep building and help the team as much as I could." What led you to want to play at NC State? "I had some other offers. Ultimately, it came down to the coaching staff, and I felt at home. It's not too far away from my house, three and a half hours. "This coaching staff and all of the team just really welcomed me." What was your reaction to being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year? "Coming in this fall, it was a big thing for me to be more consistent defensively, especially at shortstop. To see all the hard work pay off was just a really big honor for me." Were you paying much attention to the MLB Draft projections for you on social media? "I tried to stay off it as much as possible. Some things you want to see that are really good for you mentally. Then there are some things that affect you. "I just tried to stay away from it as much as possible and let other things hap - pen. What you do here is obviously going to help you." How much have you talked with former NC State star Trea Turner of the Wash- ington Nationals over the years? "He came here a little bit my freshman year, but after that I didn't see him until this fall. When you are here and have a chance to talk to someone like that, you obviously try and pick their brain. "I've learned some things from him just from watching him play and how the coaching staff handled him when he was here. He's obviously a different player than I am. You can still learn a lot of things from a guy who is playing well in the big leagues." What is the best advice given to you by a former player? "My freshman year, Joe Dunand said, 'Remember this feeling,' after the loss to Kentucky in the last game of the regional. It sticks with you when you have the chance to but don't. "That was the best advice I got from somebody." What advice would you give to future Wolfpack players? "I'd tell them to always keep working because good things come to those that work hard. I'd give them that advice." N C State shortstop Will Wilson had his dreams come true when the Los Angeles Angels made him the No. 15 overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft June 4. Wilson — who finished his junior year with a .335 batting aver- age, 16 home runs, 57 runs batted in and 74 hits in 55 games played — received a $3.4 million signing bonus from the Angels June 10. He was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after cutting his errors down from 18 his sophomore year to just nine. Wilson was also first-team All-ACC, a Baseball America first-team All- American and one of five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, which is given to the nation's top shortstop. Angels scouting director Matt Swanson was high on Wilson and added that he'll start out being developed at shortstop. "I think Will is athletic and has that upside in his own right," Swanson told Angels.com. "Sometimes it comes in different pack- ages. He emulates what we are looking for offensively and with his character." Wilson ended his junior year with 39 career home runs, 158 RBI, 146 runs scored, 219 hits and 57 doubles in 175 career games played. He hit .313 with a .393 on-base percentage and .582 slug- ging percentage. The Kings Mountain, N.C., native recently took some time with The Wolfpacker to discuss his NC State career. — Jacey Zembal