Junior outfielder Ashton Wilson embodies Florida baseball’s 2024 campaign: getting an opportunity to blossom late in the season and making the most of it. In Wilson’s case, his opportunity came after keeping track of UF’s scorecard on the bench for the majority of the regular season.
The summer of 2023 was a big one for Wilson. He had just finished his freshman season at Charleston Southern, and he entered the transfer portal.
Before UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan began recruiting Wilson that summer, he planned on playing one more season in junior college. However, he changed his plans after receiving a call from O’Sullivan with a chance to play for the Gators.
“Once I got that opportunity [at Florida], it was one of those that was kind of impossible to turn down because of a school of that caliber,” Wilson said. “Obviously, you play college baseball to win, and that’s what this school does.”
When Wilson arrived at UF, he took on a role that he wasn’t particularly familiar with. He sat on the bench behind other outfielders before getting his opportunity.
Wilson finally got a chance to play following injuries to then-junior outfielder Ty Evans and then-freshman outfielder Hayden Yost. However, even when he was not playing, he took it upon himself to be the best teammate possible in any situation.
“I would try and be the guy that would lift people up,” Wilson said. “I have never been the type to yell at people.”
Wilson’s role on the team seemed to take a complete 180 in the final game of Florida’s regular season series against Kentucky in May. Down 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Wilson was called off the bench to pinch hit and promptly sent a two-run double down the right-field foul line.
After this at-bat, Wilson quickly rose through the ranks of Florida’s lineup. His success also seemed to kickstart a miraculous run for the Gators.
“I went from kind of cheering on the team to being on the field, so you know most of it is hard to look back on just because it was a blur, but it was so much fun.” Wilson said.
Despite UF losing some of its key players this offseason, Wilson reaffirmed that the expectation for the program in 2025 has not changed. An appearance in the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, has been, and will continue to be, the standard.
“One-hundred percent, that’s always the expectation, and I think everyone that comes [into the program] knows that too,” Wilson said.
UF assistant coach Taylor Black, who primarily works with Florida’s hitters, said one of the things he first noticed about Wilson was his upbeat personality.
Black said Wilson shows a keen ability to bounce back from mistakes while keeping a strong head on his shoulders.
“It’s just kind of that mentality that he goes out there and doesn’t let a ton of stuff bother him, he moves on quick,” Black said.
When describing Wilson’s leadership abilities, Black said he is more of a lead-by-example type of player. He acknowledged that the players see Wilson go about his business in a professional manner, and he leads silently.
Black said Wilson’s abilities as a player are impressive. He cited Wilson’s intelligence and speed as two things that make him stand out.
“He’s very instinctual, he’s got the ability to go steal some bases,” Black said.
Ashton’s mother, Jamee, said that Ashton’s high school coach reached out to them during his college transfer process. When his high school coach said Florida was interested, it made them reconsider his junior college plans.
When Florida called, the decision was easy for the Wilsons. His family leaned heavily on their faith throughout the process and felt confident God would guide him to the best outcome.
“We kind of were all in agreement that it was kind of a God thing, just because it came out of the blue, and that just usually doesn’t happen with a school like Florida,” Jamee said.
When talking about Ashton playing in Omaha, his mom said it was surreal, and that it was a dream come true.
The Wilsons also noted a sense of foreshadowing as the family watched the Men’s College World Series in 2023.
“Obviously, we watched Florida and LSU play in the finals, and we literally made the comment that when we were just seeing the crowd and stuff, we were just like ‘I don’t know if we would be able to handle it if Ashton was playing in this type of game,’” Jamee said.
Although Ashton finally got the opportunity to showcase his talents at the Men’s College World Series, his transition into the offseason has not come without its challenges.
Now, he’s continuing to work on the skills that allowed him to earn the trust and respect of his teammates and coaches last season, he said.
Contact Jackson Colding at jcolding@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Colding_Jackson.
Jackson Colding is a junior sports journalism major and The Alligator's Fall 2024 Swim and Dive Reporter. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym and playing hockey. He cannot wait to be as involved with The Alligator as possible.
