Former Anna-Jonesboro standout Lucas Hileman recently completed his first baseball season with the Baylor Bears, and the freshman saw a fair amount of playing time for the Big 12 squad.

Hileman appeared in 25 games and started 13 of those in the outfield without committing an error. He batted .395 and had an on base percentage of .500.

"It was a great experience and it was eye-opening playing up against that level of competition," Hileman said. "It was definitely a higher level than what I was used to."

It wasn't the easiest thing for Hileman to accept starting over as a freshman and being a role player, but he believes he matured quite a bit during his first Big 12 campaign.

"It's something you have to learn to cope with," Hileman said. "You have to be patient and know your role being a new guy. I feel like I performed well coming off the bench."

Hileman took full advantage of his playing time early in the season. The freshman hit a bases-loaded, walk-off single to give Baylor a 5-4 win over Pacific in the Bears' third game of the season. He entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch-runner and won the contest in the 10th. That was Hileman's first career at-bat at the college level.

"You might get one pitch to hit in an at-bat, and you have to make the best of it," Hileman said. "These guys have three or four pitches they can throw for strikes."

The Bears were ranked seventh in the nation when they split a series with Oklahoma State in mid-April. But things went downhill for the team after that point. Texas and Oklahoma swept Baylor, which knocked the Bears way down in the rankings.

"We went through two-thirds of the season as the No. 7 team in the country, but our pitching never really was there," Hileman said. "There was a big stretch in our conference race where we were getting swept and ended up losing nine of 12. We started to hit and play a little better at the end."

Although the Bears finished 30-26 overall and just 10-16 in Big 12 action, it was still an exciting experience for the Anna native. One of the highlights was the Bears defeating UCLA at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros.

"It was a great time going to some of the big places," Hileman recalled. "We went to Texas and it was amazing with something like 10,000 people there. They are ruthless fans and it's a great baseball atmosphere."

Hileman is playing baseball in the West Coast League in Oregon for the Bend Elks this summer. That league is designed primarily for collegiate talent from the western part of the United States. Nine former WCL players have appeared in the majors this season, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Nyjer Morgan and Bobby Scales.

Hileman is hitting just .234 for the Bend club, but he believes it should help him prepare better for his sophomore season at Baylor.

"I feel like I've continued to grow playing out here," Hileman said. "I'll be more prepared physically and mentally, and I'll know what to expect next time around."

scott.mees@thesouthern.com

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