Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Tim Wilkins

Steve Virgen

He has moved from Washington D.C. to New Jersey, from Baltimore to

Piedmont, Calif., but Tim Wilkins appears to have finally found home. At

Sage Hill High in Newport Coast, Wilkins is known as the son of the Head

of School (principal Clint Wilkins). But, in regard to the Lightning

baseball program, he’s recognized as the foundation.

“Last year being our first year (in existence), he was a freshman and

he immediately became known as the one kid we’re going to build the

program around,” Sage Hill Coach Chris Torino said of his team captain.

“I expect him to be a four-year captain. He’s already the center of our

team and I expect that to continue. His fundamentals are so strong and he

has character.”

One of the reasons Wilkins is so fundamentally sound and displays

strong character is his positive reaction to moving around so much.

Because his father found jobs in different towns, Wilkins had to move.

But that hardly bothered him.

“The first couple of times, it was a little hard to adjust, but now

I’ve gotten pretty good at adjusting,” said The Daily Pilot Athlete of

the Week, who also mentioned he will finish out his prep playing days at

Sage Hill. “(Moving from place to place) has helped me as an athlete.

I’ve been able to experience all kinds of different leagues and teams.”

So now that Wilkins has found his home, he is concentrating on helping

build a winner for Sage Hill baseball, in its first year of varsity

competition.

Wilkins, known as a quiet and passive sort, has been a leader by

example, thus far, Torino said. The 6-foot sophomore shortstop, who also

pitches, has been a model of consistency, leading the team with a .500

batting average.

Last week, he led the Lightning to a runner-up finish in the six-team

Sage Hill Classic. He recorded 13 strikeouts, crushed a double and scored

two runs while guiding Sage Hill to an 11-2 semifinal victory over

Southlands Christian April 6. His efforts earned him a spot on the

all-tournament team.

“Even though (Sage Hill) athletics aren’t a powerhouse yet, I’m

enjoying myself,” said Wilkins, who also plays basketball. “I think we

have a legitimate chance of winning our league, at least by the time I’m

a senior. We’re all young right now. Some of the kids haven’t even played

baseball and some of them hadn’t played for a while. But from last year

to this year I can already see big improvement.”

There has also been improvement in Wilkins, who collected his first

home run of the season Tuesday. He crushed a line-drive solo blast that

gave the Lightning momentum. Sage Hill continued with a last-inning

rally, but lost its lead in the bottom of the frame, falling to Oxford

Academy, 11-10.

“I need to lead by example,” Wilkins said. “I’m not the most vocal

player. But some of (my teammates) are getting started in baseball and I

have a lot of experience for them.”

Wilkins also mentioned he is playfully teased about being the son of

the principal. Yet, if anything, Wilkins is more pressed to achieve

academically and athletically. However, it’s as if Wilkins welcomes the

challenge. He tends to thrive under pressure because of his consistent

emotions.

“It’s interesting. When he boots the occasional ground ball, gives up

a key hit or gets a bad call by the umpire, he’s not going to lose it,”

Torino said. “There are high school kids who can’t control their

emotions, but not Tim. You want to see him pump his fist and show

emotion, but that’s not Tim. He’s consistent. Whether, we’re down, it’s a

tie ballgame, or we’re winning, his head is always in the game.”