15 Days until First Pitch - #27 Immanuel Wilder

It's only 15 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.

#27 Immanuel Wilder

POSITION  Outfielder
HEIGHT  5-11
WEIGHT  180
CLASS  Junior
HOMETOWN   Madison, Ala.
HIGH SCHOOL  James Clemens HS





2019 (Sophomore): Played in 52 of the team’s 53 games with 41 starts including 34 in left field, three as the designated hitter, two apiece between center and right field … Finished the season with a .238 batting average collecting 35 hits in 147 at-bats with 15 extra-base hits including nine doubles, a triple, and five home runs … Finished with seven multiple-hit games and four multiple-RBI outings … Drew 13 walks and was hit by 18 pitches, second-most in the SoCon … Named the Southern Conference Baseball Player of the Week on March 11 after finishing the week 5-for-9 (.556) with three doubles … Enjoyed a career-long six-game hitting streak in early March … Legged out his first career triple against Gardner-Webb (March 20) … Belted his first career home run at ETSU (March 22) … Went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and a home run in a road win at UNCG (March 31) with the four hits representing a career-high … Homered and doubled in the SoCon Baseball Championship ... Named to the 2019 Spring Academic All-Southern Conference team and to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2018 (Freshman): Saw action in 19 games with three starts, each coming in the outfield – twice in right field and once in left field … Hit .200 on the season with three hits – all singles – in 15 plate appearances, adding three walks and three HBPs to reach base at a .429 clip … Scored a combined five runs in his rookie campaign … Made his collegiate debut as a pinch hitter in the season-opening weekend at East Carolina (Feb. 16) … Stole his first base as a collegian at The Citadel (March 24) … Tallied his first career base hit in a pinch-hit role at VMI (April 13) on an infield single to third base … Posted his first career multiple-hit game with a 2-for-2 showing with a pair of singles against VCU (May 19) as a substitution in games played in Forest City, N.C. … Named to the 2017-18 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Batted .340 with 15 extra-base hits including seven doubles, six triples, and two home runs while driving in 25 as a junior ... Played for the East Cobb Patriots summer team ... Also played football as a prep, primarily as a wide receiver and kick returner, amassing over 1,300 all-purpose yards in 2015 ... Earned Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.

Personal: Full name is Immanuel LeDet Wilder ... Is the son of Adria and Ike Wilder Jr. ... Has a young sibling, Carrington ... Is related to the professional boxer, Deontay Wilder (cousin).



Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations