Friday, June 29, 2007 1:12 AM CDT
Wilson named NJCAA Academic All-American
By Mike Monahan Staff Writer
mmonahan@jg-tc.com
ARTHUR – Marcus Wilson, a 2005 graduate of Arthur, has been named a National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association Academic All-American.
Wilson recently graduated from Kaskaskia College in Centralia where he played baseball. Wilson is to continue his baseball career at Delta State in Cleveland, Miss.
“Education is more important than baseball and we feel like that is showing,” said former Sullivan coach Brad Tuttle, who is the head coach at Kaskaskia. “The team was named an all-academic team for the second year in a row. To be an Academic All-American you have to have a higher grade point average than what the team’s was.”
Kaskaskia’s team had not earned Academic All-American status until 2006.
Wilson finished with a 3.65 grade point average and earned nine saves for the 39-14 Blue Devils. He pitched in 15 games and 21 innings and had an earned run average of 0.429. He had 14 strikeouts and just four walks. His nine saves was in a four-way tie for ninth in the NJCAA Division I.
“When we had a situation where we needed to bring him in, we did,” said Tuttle, who is coached at Kaskaskia for five years. “I am sure he could have been better, but we were either blowing people out or we were not playing great ourselves.”
Wilson selected Delta State, the 2004 Division II National Champions, over Indiana State as he visited both schools and talked to about five others. Delta State is nearly 500 miles from Arthur.
“I like the warm weather and the tradition they have there,” said Wilson, who is playing for the Clinton Zugs in the Eastern Illinois Baseball League currently. “The field and the campus are nice and all the people are friendly and I have family down there.”
Delta State is a member of the Gulf South Conference and is coached by Mike Kinnison, who recently completed his 11th season at the helm and has a record of 452-129 (.778). Under Kinnison the Statesmen have appeared in four College World Series’, six NCAA South Regional appearances, nine Gulf South Conference West Division titles and three NCAA South Regional championships.
Wilson also like the facilities at Delta State, a school of 3,500. The school’s home field is David “Boo” Ferriss Field and seats over 2,000. The Statesmen have played their since 1964 and have a new indoor facility, the Bryce Griffis Baseball Practice Center, which is 10,400 square feet and includes a full-size infield area on agra turf with portable pitching mounds.
“They have a nice weight room and locker room and the field is awesome,” said Wilson, who plans to major in business/marketing.
“Another reason why I chose Delta State is that if you have over a 3.5 grade point average at Kaskaskia you are in honor program, Phi Beta Kappa and I got a lot of scholarship money because of that and my baseball scholarship.”
For Clinton Wilson, who is on the same team as Shelbyville graduate Trent Duckett, has pitched in half of the six games and has an earned run average of 2.35 in 7 plus innings with a 1-0 record.
“There were a couple of guys on the Kaskaskia team that got letters from them last year, but no one went there,” said Wilson. “My dad’s (Arthur superintendent Travis Wilson) uncle and his wife went to Delta State. Delta State saw me in a showcase at Austin Peay and they liked what they saw.”
Kaskaskia was 40-17 in 2006, a year in which Wilson was 1-0 and had shoulder problems.
“Kurt Friese (Kaskaskia assistant coach and Stewardson-Strasburg graduate) made some adjustments with his arm slot-going to three-quarters instead of over the top,” said Tuttle. “It relieved some pressure from his shoulder and he developed into a better pitcher. All of his pitches have a lot of movement-a lot of sink to it.”
Wilson was 8-2 at Arthur for the Arthur-Lovington squad coached by Rick Allen, who is now the Shelbyville athletics director and assistant principal. The Knights finished 30-6 that season and Wilson, a first team all-Little Okaw Valley Conference player, had a 2.84 earned run average with 73 strikeouts in 63 and a third innings.
“My freshman year (at Kaskaskia) I was disappointed with my injury, but last year I felt good and my arm was fine the entire year. It was better than what I expected. I never expected to be among the tops in the nation in saves and have that low of an earned run average.”
Wilson is one of five Kaskaskia players (Jay Voss, Calvin O’Rear, Scott Wells and Jason Kloibhofer) named to Academic All-American and is one of 13 players that graduated.
“I try and tell my kids not only what is financially best, but what coaching staff they fit into the best,” said Tuttle of players looking to play after Kaskaskia. “Some want to go in and help turn a program around and some go to a winning program. I think you have to buy into that coaching system. It certainly doesn’t hurt our program having players get respect in a four-year program and I think that comes from our discipline on and off the field.”
Delta State had two players that were in the Major League Amateur Draft as Brett Durand and Jareck West were taken in the 11th and 25th round by Florida and Oakland respectively.
“We are very excited about adding Marcus Wilson to our baseball program,” said Delta State pitching coach Rick McCarty. “Marcus is solid student-athlete who we expect to compete immediately and have an impact on our club next season. Marcus is the kind of player we are looking for in our program, solid both on and off the field. He is a great addition to our baseball family.”
Marcus is the son of Travis and Beth Wilson of Arthur.
“I am excited to go and have the opportunity to play,” said Wilson. “I was in the right place at the right time when they saw me. I am ready to go and see how the south is. It is going to be different from being up here.”
Contact Mike Monahan at mmonahan@jg-tc.com or 238-6854.
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