Appy notes: Wilson embraces relief role

Brooks Wilson hit so well during the college postseason that he landed the Most Valuable Player honor for an NCAA regional.
But the former Stetson standout no longer carries a bat to the ballpark, instead relying on his arm in this next segment of his career. He's in the Danville Braves bullpen and concentrating on pitching.

"When people say I have a better shot of making it to the big leagues with my arm, then that's what I want to do," Wilson said.
So that didn't take much convincing.
His pro career has been off to a solid start, averaging more than a strikeout per inning in his first six appearances for Danville.
He might have a live arm at this time of the year because his workload was re-adjusted with Stetson, logging only 56 1/3 innings compared to 107 2/3 during the 2017 college season.

Wilson's versatility in college landed him the award as the Player of the Year in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Based on his bat, he was dubbed the MVP of the Stetson regional as the Hatters advanced out of the first week of the NCAA Tournament.
But that didn't diminish what he's capable of doing on the mound. He racked up 20 saves as a senior in his only year as a closer.
"I was basically a DH and a closer," he said. "I had a good year swinging the bat. No more hitting now. They took it away from me."
There's a reason Wilson was projected as a reliever. He had considerable attention from pro scouts because of Stetson's loaded starting rotation that included Logan Gilbert (first round, Seattle) and Jack Perkins (11th round, Philadelphia).
"There were always scouts there to see our starters," Wilson said. "Most of them hung around to see a lot of Stetson baseball."
That resulted in a seventh-round selection for Wilson. In all, five Stetson pitchers and catcher Austin Hale were drafted this year.
With Danville, there's no guarantee that Wilson will be slotted exclusively as a closer. Slightly more than two weeks into the season, four Braves had posted a save.
"I know how it all works," Wilson said. "Trying to keep me in a similar role, maybe not a closer."
One benefit Wilson has discovered entering the Appalachian League is that unlike many college programs, Hale was calling the pitches. So Wilson said he's accustomed to having that setup with a catcher.
"That's kind of the mentality we had," he said. "I'm used to it done that way. It was a less of a transition."

In brief

No worries: Through four games as a pro, Greeneville Reds third baseman Jonathan India was without a hit. In his next four games, the first-round pick out of Florida went a combined 8-for15 with nine RBIs. That was no surprise for Greeneville manager Gookie Dawkins because he's expecting plenty from India and outfielder Mike Siani, a fourth-rounder who also made his pro debut about 2 1/2 weeks into the season. "They hadn't played in a while," Dawkins said of the duo. "They'll be fine, just how they carry themselves and playing the game the right way. They know they're going to play a lot."
Hometown action: When Johnson City outfielder Brandon Riley was in his 14th game as a pro, the outing took place in his North Carolina hometown in a matchup with the Burlington Royals at a stadium where he was once a bat boy. "A lot of guys might never be able to play in front of friends and family in a pro game depending on how long they play," Riley said. "So it's something you don't want to take for granted."
Back in the swing: Less than two weeks after the devastating loss in the College World Series finals, former Arkansas outfielder Eric Cole was making his pro debut. He went 2-for-4 in his first game with the Burlington Royals. Cole said he had about a week without baseball activity following the college season. "It was awesome getting that first hit out of the way," said Cole, who singled in his first plate appearance July 11 at Danville. "It's one you're thinking about. It took some of the stress off."