Russell Wilson won’t have a lot of time off from sports this summer, as the Gastonia Grizzlies signed the Wolfpack star to play for their team for part of their year. Wilson will play with Robert Jeroszko from College of Charleston, Matt Thielepape from Winthrop University, Eric Valdez from Indiana State,  and Greg Van Horn from Princeton University, among others. The Grizzlies play in the Coastal Plain League, a 14 team group playing in the Carolinas and Virginia, focusing on giving college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer.
Wilson will play baseball through June, and then return to his football duties with the Pack, according to the team. Even though his time in Gastonia will be limited, Grizzly GM Jesse Cole told the Gaston Gazette that a “scout from the Pirates said, ‘If you could have him for one day, I’d take him.”‘ In the same article, Cole added that Wilson is “a big time prospect.”
The schedule for the Grizzlies can be found here.
Wilson will need the work to hone his batting skills after struggling this summer – this year he batted .236 with 10 RBIs and two doubles in 27 games for the Wolfpack, and clearly will need to improve that mark in order to improve his potential draft position after his junior season.
