Luke Wilkins

From BR Bullpen

Luke Wilkins

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.

BR register page

Biographical Information[edit]

Luke Wilkins has pitched in Australia and the US and for the Australian national team.

Wilkins was bashed around in his Claxton Shield debut in 2008, going 0-1 with 22 hits and 16 runs (15 earned) in 5 2/3 IP. He pitched in college in the US that summer. He did not pitch in the 2009 Claxton Shield or 2010. When the Australian Baseball League was revived for 2010-2011, he made the Canberra Cavalry and was again hit hard (15 H, 14 R, 12 ER in 3 1/3 IP). He got another chance the next year with his hometown Sydney Blue Sox and fared better (2-1, 6.11) in 2011-2012.

In 2012-2013, he posted a vastly-improved 1.04 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 7 games. He then was stellar in 2013-2014 (3-0, Sv, 0.28 ERA, 0.67 WHIP in 32 2/3 IP). He tied Dae-sung Koo, Nick Pugliese and Matthew Williams for 3rd in the league in games pitched and had the best ERA of any hurler with more than five games, a far cry from his work three years prior.

The right-hander was moved into Sydney's rotation in 2014-2015 and was solid at 5-3, 3.31. He tied Mike McClendon and Craig Anderson for 5th in the ABL in wins and 4th in ERA (between Cody Buckel and Makoto Aiuchi). He was a mainstay of the independent Washington Wild Things' rotation in 2015, with a 8-5, 3.31 record. He regressed that winter in Sydney (1-1, Sv, 8.10 in 2015-2016). He was 4-7 with a 4.24 ERA for the 2016 Wild Things.

In 2016-2017, he rebounded somewhat to 3-4, 4.50 for the Blue Sox. He was 4-3, 5.29 in 2017-2018 and 2-4, 3.09 in 2018-2019. Returning to the US after two years away, he toiled for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (4-2, Sv, 4.46 in 14 G), Sioux Falls Canaries (0-1, 4.05 in 4 G) and Chicago Dogs (2-2, 7.29 in 16 G).

He made Australia's squad for the 2019 Premier 12. He debuted against defending champion South Korea, relieving Sam Street with two outs in the 8th, the bases loaded and a 5-0 deficit. He fanned former major leaguer Byung-ho Park to escape that jam. His next outing was also short and in a bases-loaded jam. Facing Cuba, he relieved Josh Tols with no outs and a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 10th. He got William Saavedra and Yurisbel Gracial to fly out, but Gracial's fly brought in the winning run. He next was used against the tourney champion, Japan. He relieved Tols with a 2-1 lead in the 6th, two on and two out and retired tourney MVP Seiya Suzuki. In the 7th, he allowed a single to Masataka Yoshida. Pinch-runner Ukyo Shuto stole second while Wilkins whiffed Hideto Asamura and Nobuhiro Matsuda. Sosuke Genda bunted into a run-scoring fielder's choice to tie it then Tsubasa Aizawa flew out. Jon Kennedy succeeded him in the 8th. His last game was against Mexico. Relieving Daniel Schmidt in the 8th with a 3-0 deficit and one on, he walked Esteban Quiroz but got Jose Vargas to hit into a double play and whiffed Efren Navarro. In the 8th, he went 1-2-3 against Alí Solís, Matt Clark (K) and Juan Pérez. He finished with a 2.08 ERA in his four outings.

That winter, he was 1-0 with a save and a 2.82 ERA in 21 games for Sydney. Only Todd Van Steensel pitched more games in the 2019-2020 ABL.

Sources[edit]

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