LAKELAND, Fla.—Former Southeastern University pitcher Jamal Wilson has signed a professional baseball contract with the American Association.
Wilson joins the Gary SouthShore Railcats, a three-time league champion and three-time division championship organization.
“It means a lot to become a professional baseball player,” said Wilson. “It’s truly a blessing and something I won’t ever take for granted.”
Wilson becomes the second former Fire player to join the RailCats. Catcher Craig Maddox also spent time with the organization.
During his lone season at SEU, Wilson was 10-1 in 16 appearances on the mound with a 3.69 ERA. The Valrico native recorded 104 strikeouts in 75.2 innings, with opponents hitting just .244 against.
The American Association was revived in the fall of 2005, but its history dates back to the early 1900s. Currently, 12 former American Association players are on MLB rosters, including All-Stars Brandon Kintzler (Minnesota Twins) and Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals).
“I’ve been blessed to have been playing this game since I was four years old and for it to have lasted this long,” said Wilson.
The team is currently 28-33, and in third-place in the Central Division.