University of Arizona Athletics

Arizona 2025 (Junior)
Appeared in 13 games throughout the season, starting two of them…Compiled a record of 2-1 and had an ERA of 6.45 across 22.1 innings of work…Held opposing hitters to a .253 batting average and recorded 27 strikeouts to just four walks…Did not allow a home run throughout the year…Picked up one save on the season…Threw 1.1 scoreless innings against San Diego (2/23)...Pitched three innings and gave up zero runs while allowing just one hit against Pepperdine (3/6)...Pitched one inning against Houston and gave up no hits or runs while striking out two batters. POSTSEASON: Pitched three masterful innings Utah Valley (5/31) in the second game of the Eugene NCAA Regional, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out seven batters…Threw 1.2 innings in the first game of the Chapel Hill NCAA Super Regional against UNC (6/6), allowing no runs or hits and striking out two batters.

Before Arizona
Logged two years at Wisconsin-Whitewater before transferring to Arizona…Across two years with the Warhawks, went 11-3 with a 2.02 ERA and 144 strikeouts across 106.2 innings of work…As a freshman at UW-W, went 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in 13 relief appearances…Moved into starting rotation as a sophomore and went 9-2 with a 1.96 ERA and 116 strikeouts across 15 appearances (13 starts)…Picked up WIAC Pitcher of the Year honors following spectacular sophomore season…Also tabbed as a consensus First Team All-American in 2024…Selected as 2024 Region IX Pitcher of the Year…Runner-up for the DIII Pitcher of the Year award…Helped lead team to runner-up finish in the NCAA Division III championship…Prepped at Yorkville High School in Illinois and lettered three years in baseball under head coach Tom Cerven…Selected as the All-Area Pitcher of the Year as a senior, an honor awarded by the Kendall County Record…Excelled in the classroom, earning Academic High Honor Roll all four years at Yorkville HS and graduating summa cum laude.

Personal
Michael David Hilker Jr…Son of Michael Sr. and Tiffany Hilker…One younger brother, Maxton, and one younger sister, Madeline…Majoring in Accounting...Hobbies include golfing and playing video games…Capable of doing a backflip…Favorite food is calamari…Chose Arizona because, “It has always been my dream to play Division I baseball, and after spending my whole life in the Midwest I was ready to be in the sun.”