You can usually find freshman pitcher William “Tex” Gilbert flashing a smile. He loves the grind of improving day by day and growing with the other 11 freshman that make up Cornell Big Red baseball’s young core. Although known for his merry personality, Will is all business once he steps onto the mound. “It’s not about stats, it’s about getting a W and shutting batters down.”
Will is a New York City native and competed at the Beacon School. Standing at a towering 6-foot-3 215 pound frame , Gilbert is a scary sight to face from home plate. Will’s physical prowess allows him to generate an explosive delivery every single pitch. Although equipped with an arsenal of pitches, the “slurve” serves as Will’s deadliest.
He developed his love of baseball from an early age through catches with his father and older brother. He even has the first baseball he ever threw stored in a glass case. From a young age, many knew Will had something special about him and it was only a matter of time before he started attending elite college camps and showcases with his NY Nine and Next Level Baseball teams.
After meeting Coach Pep and Hager, Will knew that Cornell was the only school he wanted to play baseball for. One of Will’s first impressions of the Big Red coaching staff was the focus on the athlete as a person exuding good character and respect. This emphasis, combined with elite academics and tight-knit team culture was something that Will found most impressive at Cornell.
Will’s academic interests directly complement his connections to the field. Studying in the ILR School, Will hopes to one day work in Human Resources where he can directly influence team-building and decision making. Much like a baseball team, a healthy environment is essential to any business as each organization is driven by the people it employs. Examples of clear-cut communication and leadership by example are staples in the Big Red, and a future transition to HR looks to be quite promising for Will.
Will has confidence in the new infusion of freshman talent. He views baseball as “fluidity and clock work,” where success is dependent on everyone being on the same page. For the Big Red, the locker room camaraderie fuels the drive to success. Will states that everyone on the team is a good person first and foremost, which directly translates onto the field. Will and the young freshman core are hungry for a Collegiate Championship, confident that they can compete with anyone when the team leaves it all out on the field.showing their guts on the field. Be sure to find Will walking out to Aerosmith’s “Love in an Elevator” before dominating the opposition in the very near future.