NEWS

Ryan Wilson launching a 3-run homer

Davidson’s Ryan Wilson was selected by the San Diego Padres in the ninth round (281 overall) of the 2023 Major League Baseball League on Monday afternoon.

Wilson is the second Wildcat selected in 2023, joining his 2024 classmate Michael Carico, who was picked by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round.

It marks the first time Davidson has had multiple picks since 2011, when pitchers Chris Lamb and Andy Bass were selected by Oakland and Tampa Bay, respectively.

“Ryan created this opportunity for himself with a lot of work and effort,” commented Davidson head coach Rucker Taylor. “He’s very talented and versatile. His competitive nature and toughness are unique. Ryan set a standard for how to go about things that I hope we can replicate in future years. He’s successful in everything he does, and I think he’s going to play baseball for a long time.” 

Wilson, from Durham, is coming off an Atlantic 10 Player of the Year campaign, in which he led the league with 17 home runs, 70 runs scored, a .533 on-base percentage, a .737 slugging percentage and a 1.270 OPS. He matched a school record by reaching base in all 54 games and ranked second in the A-10 with a .387 batting average. His 30 hit-by-pitches set a single-season program record, and he also owns Davidson’s career hit-by-pitch mark with 64.  

This spring, Wilson played mostly in center field after playing primarily first base last season. He led the Wildcats with 24 multi-hit and 14 multi-RBI games and also had a 19-game hit streak. Along with his Player of the Year nod, he earned A-10 First Team and A-10 All-Academic Team honors, and he was named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-Atlantic Region Team.