He’s Going the Distance : 49ers’ Wilson Battled Illness and Hard Times Just to Pitch Again

Kyle Wilson couldn’t stop his body and season from fading away a year ago, but he refused to let his dreams go too.

So he kept his confidence, and thereby his sanity, by looking toward the future during what he called “definitely the toughest point” in his life. There was more pain than he cares to recall, and even his good days weren’t all that great, but hope has a way of keeping you going.

After struggling with illness, injuries and self-confidence, Wilson is flourishing again. He’s in the starting rotation at Long Beach State and is one of the team’s most consistent pitchers. After suffering through a disastrous sophomore season at Orange Coast, the 49er junior right-hander again is enjoying life.

Long Beach Coach Dave Snow is among those pleased that Wilson rebounded. Wilson starts for the 49ers today against San Jose State in a Big West Conference game at Blair Field at 1:05 p.m.

When Wilson is on the mound, Snow worries less.

“He’s been a key for our ballclub,” Snow said. “He’s very consistent. His mental approach is the quality that makes him successful, and the fact that he’s stepped up and done a job for us has been critical.”

Hyperbole this is not.

Wilson leads the staff with a 7-2 record and 2.84 earned-run average. Despite throwing only in the low- to mid-80s, Wilson has struck out 35 in 50 2/3 innings because he moves the ball well and has a good breaking pitch.

All this, mind you, from a walk-on who started the season in long relief--a popular synonym for mop-up duty.

But something funny happened along Wilson’s path to obscurity: He performed.

“It kind of got to the point that he was pitching so well,” Snow said, “it was obvious to us that he deserved to be a starter.”

Said Wilson: “I’ve always known that I’m capable of doing what I’m doing now. I just needed the chance.”

Wilson’s sophomore season at Orange Coast shouldn’t be termed horrible--it was worse. Although his stats didn’t indicate such, Wilson was the Pirates’ staff ace as a freshman.

He was 6-7 with a 4.70 ERA and led the team with 103 1/3 innings pitched. But he was 4-3 with a 3.41 ERA in Orange Empire Conference play. That followed a solid career at Estancia High.

“We didn’t have a very good team his senior year, but we knew we’d get a quality start every other outing because of Kyle,” Estancia co-Coach Paul Troxel said. “Every time we send him out there, we knew he’d battle . . . we knew we had a chance.”

Wilson entered his sophomore season at Orange Coast with lots of confidence and even bigger goals. But it was clear from the outset things wouldn’t go as Wilson thought.

Shortly after the season opener, Wilson was simultaneously afflicted with a sinus and intestine infections. In one week, he lost almost 15 pounds from his already slender 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame.

“And that was really bad because he can’t afford to lose any weight,” Coach John Altobelli said. “Kyle is a really tall, lanky kid, and he needs every pound he can have. When he got sick, his fastball didn’t have the same snap.”

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Wilson for the first time suffered many minor, but nonetheless painful, injuries. There were just enough of them to continually keep him off the field.

In a blink, Wilson was 1-4, in the bullpen and wondering, “What happened?”

“My confidence level had gone down quite a bit,” said Wilson, 20. “I mean, it was really pretty rough.”

His family suffered as well.

“As a dad, it was tough,” said Kyle’s father, Brad. “The thing was, though, he showed so much courage through the whole thing. He never complained about his problems or going to the bullpen.”

Snow wasn’t fazed by Wilson’s prior problems.

“By the time he came here and reported,” Snow said, “he was healthy again.”

Wilson said he is better for his hardship.

“You always have to be prepared for the hard times,” Wilson said. “Things aren’t always going to be easy for you.”