Former Cal Poly catcher Kyle Wilson, a graduate of Righetti High School in Santa Maria, passed away Saturday, October 6, 2018.
Wilson, 36, died of a heart attack in Clovis, Calif. His family was at his side when he died.
Kyle Scott Wilson played baseball at Cal Poly from 2001-03 and was a career .319 hitter, including a team-leading .331 as a freshman in 2001 and a .361 average as a sophomore. He primarily was a catcher but also played first base, third base and designated hitter.
Wilson produced 40 doubles, two triples and 20 home runs during his three seasons as a Mustang. He drove in 122 runs and, behind the plate, threw out 19 would-be base stealers and picked off two other runners.
Wilson played his final collegiate season of baseball at Fresno State, hitting .327 with eight home runs and 20 RBI.
He was drafted in the 26th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the Colorado Rockies and played in the minor leagues for three years at Casper, Modesto and Asheville. Wilson hit .260 in the minors with 35 doubles, 23 home runs and 112 RBI in 190 games.
Wilson returned to Cal Poly during his offseasons in the minor leagues to finish his degree in economics.
Wilson was born on August 23, 1982, in Santa Maria, Calif., to Scott and Maureen (Stettmeier) Wilson. He was born a fighter, overcoming health obstacles throughout his early years that would help shape him into the man he would become: strong, never one to quit, one with a grateful heart, a strong faith in God, a love for life, family and friends that surpassed all, according to his obituary.
A 2000 graduate of Righetti High School, Wilson earned a baseball scholarship at Cal Poly and met his future wife, Chelsy Thompson, a Mustang tennis player, while in his sophomore year at Cal Poly in the spring of 2002. They were married on Nov. 10, 2007.
Wilson worked for Arthur J. Gallagher, a U.S.-based global insurance brokerage and risk management services firm.
Wilson is survived by his wife Chelsy, sons Kellen and Finley, his parents Scott and Maureen Wilson, his brother Blaine Wilson, in-laws Curtis and Renee Thompson; Matt, Regan, Keegan and Josi Poston; Kyle, Colby, Elle and Nixon Jamierena; his aunts, uncles, and cousins: Barry, Janie, Bridget, Claire, and Cate McGowan; Michael, Lisa, and Hanna Mahoney; Robbie, Don, Mallory, Kirsten, and Brett; and his grandfather Robert Wilson.
Services for Wilson will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 355 East Champlain Drive, Fresno, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 18, with recitation of rosary starting at 10:30 a.m. The service will follow at 11 a.m. and the burial ceremony will be private.
-Provided by Cal Poly
