Wofford Checks All The Boxes For Hileman

CINCINNATI - There are a number of reasons that Wofford is the right choice for Brennan Hileman.

“I liked the Wofford program better than most of the other schools I talked to,” explained the St. Xavier incoming senior. “The academics are good, I like the coaches and my dad played football there so we know the school.”

The college located in Spartanburg, S.C. is now the future home of the fourth-rated 2023 third baseman in Ohio.

“In the winter I emailed a bunch of schools, some I did just then and some I had done before,” Hileman reflected. “They invited me to a camp and on a tour of the school. I did well at the camp and kept talking to them the next couple of months.”

The time at Wofford was memorable for the 17-year-old.

“I pitched really well in the live ABs,” Hileman noted. “My dad played football there so I’d seen the school before. It was a pretty campus and I’ve always wanted to play in the south.”

Interest from the Southern Conference college then picked up.

“After the camp I went to a PBR Scout Day and threw hard,” Hileman said. “They were happy with that. It translated to games and I sent them video from some of them. They like how I’m an innings eater, how I get ahead in counts. My curve ball is really good, ahead of most pitchers my age.”

The pitch ability has given hope that Hileman has a strong possibility at being a two-way player when it comes to the next level, with Wofford looking at him as a first baseman/pitcher.

“I ran fast at the PBR Scout Day, under 7.0, and that got them interested in my two-way potential,” Hileman explained. “That’s really important to me. I’ve never been a PO, last year I was primarily a hitter and I’ve always wanted to do that in college. Pitching is something I just picked up.”

There were a number of schools showing interest in the 6-1 194-pounder, with a visit taken to Villanova and talks made with Sienna, Lafayette and Iona.

“Freshman year over quarantine is when I started getting serious about this,” Hileman said. “It's always been a dream to play college baseball and then I ran across some websites and I really started thinking about it. Then it really picked up when I made varsity last year.”

The 72nd-ranked 2023 in the state did much of the recruiting work himself.

“I didn’t rely on connections, I did everything by email,” Hileman related. “I jumped into the game a little late but it ended up perfectly for me.

“PBR really helped with the numbers,” Hileman added. “At Wofford I was only 85 but then I ran a 6.99 at the PBR, had a good exit velo and hit 86 four or five times and that made them feel better about me.”

A 3.78 student looking at a major in business economics, Hileman is excited to know where his future lies, nearly six hours from his home in southwest Ohio.

“It’s such a relief, and what an emotional time,” Hileman said. “It’s everything I dreamed of … it’s awesome. I’m really looking forward to getting to know my teammates and living the life of a student-athlete.”