For Razorbacks center fielder Ty Wilmsmeyer, no matter where he goes he never forgets where he’s been. “Glendale was fantastic for me,” said Ty, a senior at Arkansas. “Learning and developing as a ballplayer. Getting me ready to play college baseball.”
But we figured we would remind him anyway by showing him a copy of the Ozone Magazine from when he was on the cover as a senior in high school. “Oh my God, that’s a blast from the past right there,” Ty said with a laugh.
Ty now patrols center field for one of the top-ranked college baseball teams in the country. “It’s definitely been something surreal for me,” he said. “Something I want to treasure.”
But before that he did the same thing as a member of the Falcons. “That’s me with my Mizzou cap,” Ty said pointing at the cover. “Corey Spain with Arkansas and Will Duff of Vanderbilt. I still keep in contact with all these kids. It’s funny to see how things change throughout the years. That’s crazy.”
First, he played four years at Mizzou. An easy trek for his parents Brian and Tammy Wilmsmeyer to see his games. “Selfishly we go a lot,” said Brian. “We go almost every weekend when we can. Luckily our jobs allow us to work from hotel rooms and the car and all that.”
Not that distance matters. They’ve proven they’ll go anywhere to see their son play. “We’ve been to every SEC venue baseball-wise except Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi State,” Brian said.
They figure it’s the least they can do after all the work they’ve seen Ty put in to earn a role on the top team in the nation. “We’re just very proud of him,” Brian said. “He wasn’t really heavily recruited out of high school. Mizzou was where he wanted to go. And he went and put in the work and walked on. When he got into a starting role he then got an opportunity here at Arkansas.”
This season Ty’s still got unfinished personal business. “Individually, I need to get my bat going,” he said.
And of course he’s got big team goals. “It’s every college baseball player’s dream to play in Omaha,” Ty said. “That’s kind of what I’m chasing here. I want to be able to go to Omaha and make that run and hopefully win the last game of the year.”
But Ty says if he could talk to that younger version of himself in the magazine he’d have some advice for him.
“I’d tell myself to buckle up because it’s a crazy ride,” Ty said, with a laugh. “I’m thankful for all the places I’ve been, people I’ve met. All the teammates and good buddies I’ve had.”
From the Ozarks to the number one college team in the country. A crazy ride and a full baseball life indeed.
