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Right-Handed Hitters Provide Pop, Levity, Leadership for Gophers
5/14/2019 9:40:00 AM | Baseball
At the plate or behind it, Cole McDevitt and Eli Wilson have enjoyed a similar trajectory in their careers with the Gopher Baseball program. Each entered their freshman season with raw talent and quickly evolved into a middle-of-the-order presence for the Maroon & Gold. For that reason, it's no surprise how close Minnesota's starting catcher and first baseman have grown in the past three seasons.
"He and I have been roommates since the time he has been here," said McDevitt. "It's been fun to watch him grow. Starting out, he was not a great player just like myself, especially behind the plate. He'd be the first to tell you that. He's transformed in a really, really good player."
Wilson did not join the Gophers with the catching experience that his father Dan Wilson displayed in his playing career with Minnesota and eventually in the Major Leagues, but the talent passed down from father to son became apparent as he grew on the collegiate level.
"In my freshman year, I was really raw and overmatched behind the plate," said Wilson. "Cole had gone through the same thing the year before, and he helped me figure out what I needed to do to become serviceable."
The humble Wilson has become more than serviceable, leading Minnesota in batting this season entering last weekend at .314 with two home runs and 12 doubles including a massive walk-off shot in the 10th inning against Nebraska back on March 29. McDevitt is batting .250 but has a team-leading 15 doubles on the year and has driven in 23 runs, second-best among Gophers. His success comes after offseason hip surgery.
"I've been fortunate enough that a lot of my injuries have happened at the end of the season – maintenance stuff," McDevitt said. "This season has been nice, to be healthy all year. New hips feel awesome."
One reason McDevitt has been able to remain healthy this season is a more permanent move from behind the plate to first base as Minnesota has brought in a pair of rookies to back up Wilson.
"I do [miss catching]. I love having my hand on the game and on the pitching staff, helping those guys out, but Eli does a great jo," McDevitt said. "I don't miss … the stress it puts on the body. I'm roommates with Eli, so I understand the toll it takes."
Wilson has played in 44-of-45 games this season including 34 starts behind the plate. At times, he has caught all three games in a weekend, and he caught all 18 innings for the Gophers in their epic 5-4 win over Ohio State. When that happens, he needs to mindful of his body.
"Catching can at times be a grind. You have to have the attitude that you want to be back there," said Wilson. "It starts in the training room. You have to get in there with the ice tubs, treatment from the trainer, whatever you need. We talk about the little things: eating right, getting a good sleep, stretching. It might not make a big difference in and of itself, but it's a culmination that will make you feel better."
Wilson calls his own game behind the plate, and he takes pride in leading a young pitching staff that he has seen grow even just throughout the course of 2019.
"Earlier in the year, it was hard on a lot of us that we weren't pitching the way we knew we were capable of, but guys have figured out what works for them," said Wilson. "We have aspirations of winning the Big Ten Tournament, and we are confident because of our how deep our pitching staff is. Last year, we won the Tournament, but this year, we probably have three or four more arms. That's scary for the rest of the league."
The growth of the pitching staff isn't all that's been going well for Minnesota as it enters the final week of the regular season.
"The biggest thing for us has been defense," said Wilson. "The time we spend out on the field can influence our offense. When you have long innings that drag out with a couple errors, it can be hard to create momentum offensively. The last few weeks, defensive has picked up and that leads to more runs."
His senior counterpart also point out an added confidence for the Gophers entering the final stretch.
"With experience comes confidence, guys understanding the situations they are being put in and being able to perform under pressure," said McDevitt. "Our pitching staff has been tremendous. Defensively, we have become pretty solid. If we can just put together the quality at-bats [and] stay consistent, we can really make a run."
Minnesota concludes the Big Ten regular season next weekend at Northwestern. The Gophers and Wildcats will open their three-game series Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Evanston, Illinois.
"He and I have been roommates since the time he has been here," said McDevitt. "It's been fun to watch him grow. Starting out, he was not a great player just like myself, especially behind the plate. He'd be the first to tell you that. He's transformed in a really, really good player."
Wilson did not join the Gophers with the catching experience that his father Dan Wilson displayed in his playing career with Minnesota and eventually in the Major Leagues, but the talent passed down from father to son became apparent as he grew on the collegiate level.
"In my freshman year, I was really raw and overmatched behind the plate," said Wilson. "Cole had gone through the same thing the year before, and he helped me figure out what I needed to do to become serviceable."
The humble Wilson has become more than serviceable, leading Minnesota in batting this season entering last weekend at .314 with two home runs and 12 doubles including a massive walk-off shot in the 10th inning against Nebraska back on March 29. McDevitt is batting .250 but has a team-leading 15 doubles on the year and has driven in 23 runs, second-best among Gophers. His success comes after offseason hip surgery.
"I've been fortunate enough that a lot of my injuries have happened at the end of the season – maintenance stuff," McDevitt said. "This season has been nice, to be healthy all year. New hips feel awesome."
One reason McDevitt has been able to remain healthy this season is a more permanent move from behind the plate to first base as Minnesota has brought in a pair of rookies to back up Wilson.
"I do [miss catching]. I love having my hand on the game and on the pitching staff, helping those guys out, but Eli does a great jo," McDevitt said. "I don't miss … the stress it puts on the body. I'm roommates with Eli, so I understand the toll it takes."
Wilson has played in 44-of-45 games this season including 34 starts behind the plate. At times, he has caught all three games in a weekend, and he caught all 18 innings for the Gophers in their epic 5-4 win over Ohio State. When that happens, he needs to mindful of his body.
"Catching can at times be a grind. You have to have the attitude that you want to be back there," said Wilson. "It starts in the training room. You have to get in there with the ice tubs, treatment from the trainer, whatever you need. We talk about the little things: eating right, getting a good sleep, stretching. It might not make a big difference in and of itself, but it's a culmination that will make you feel better."
Wilson calls his own game behind the plate, and he takes pride in leading a young pitching staff that he has seen grow even just throughout the course of 2019.
"Earlier in the year, it was hard on a lot of us that we weren't pitching the way we knew we were capable of, but guys have figured out what works for them," said Wilson. "We have aspirations of winning the Big Ten Tournament, and we are confident because of our how deep our pitching staff is. Last year, we won the Tournament, but this year, we probably have three or four more arms. That's scary for the rest of the league."
The growth of the pitching staff isn't all that's been going well for Minnesota as it enters the final week of the regular season.
"The biggest thing for us has been defense," said Wilson. "The time we spend out on the field can influence our offense. When you have long innings that drag out with a couple errors, it can be hard to create momentum offensively. The last few weeks, defensive has picked up and that leads to more runs."
His senior counterpart also point out an added confidence for the Gophers entering the final stretch.
"With experience comes confidence, guys understanding the situations they are being put in and being able to perform under pressure," said McDevitt. "Our pitching staff has been tremendous. Defensively, we have become pretty solid. If we can just put together the quality at-bats [and] stay consistent, we can really make a run."
Minnesota concludes the Big Ten regular season next weekend at Northwestern. The Gophers and Wildcats will open their three-game series Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Evanston, Illinois.
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