A Ladner pitcher has been recognized for his outstanding collegiate season south of the border.
Matt Wilkinson is the 2023 National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) D1 Pitcher of the Year after his superb campaign at Central Arizona.
The 6-foot-1 hard-throwing southpaw had a 1.07 ERA with 136 strikeouts while recording 10 wins in 84 innings pitched. His strikeout total ranked second in the nation while his ERA was third.
Other honours included being named First Team All-American, American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Pitcher of the Year and Arizona Community College Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year.
The nickname Tugboat has stayed with him since his days pitching in Ladner Minor Baseball when he was just seven.
“Tug had an unbelievable year for us, but he has been doing that his whole life. He is a special pitcher who has high-level command, ride on his fastball, and an elite competitiveness that is unmatched. He is very deserving of this award,” said Central Arizona head coach Anthony Gilich.
The dominant sophomore campaign came after Wilkinson had a leading-role in the Vaqueros capturing the national championship a year earlier when he recorded 85 strikeouts with a 1.87 ERA in 53 innings. He will conclude his final two years of eligibility this fall at Arizona State University.
“Tug was dominant every outing of the season, even when he didn’t have his best stuff. He was so fun to be around every day at practice with a sense of humor, and a determination to get better. He loved his teammates, wanted to win for them, and is as selfless of a superstar as you will ever find,” added Central Arizona pitching coach JoJo Howie.
“Matt exemplifies what Central Arizona College Athletics is. He is an elite athlete as well as an upstanding person. Matt is deserving of his reward and has committed himself to being a top-tier pitcher. Our college is honoured to have our student-athlete represent our community. We extend our congratulations to Tug,” added Central Arizona athletic director Shelby Davis.
Wilkinson’s extensive baseball journey includes an extended stint at Okotoks Baseball Academy in Southern Alberta where he also played for the Dawgs’ summer team in the Western Canadian Baseball League. He helped Okotoks win WCBL championships in 2019 and 2022.
His time playing Little League in White Rock was highlighted by advancing to the Little League World Series back in 2015. Wilkinson made the most of his time in Williamsport, striking out 16 in a 1-0 loss to Mexico. He had played in Ladner right up until the 2014 all-star season.
Wilkinson is currently playing summer ball for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League in Massachusetts.
