A storybook ending: The 12-year Tiger goes out a champ

By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor

TAMPA – The ending was one fit for a classic storybook.

Just the second-ever freshman to play for Jesuit in the state final four, Tigers’ senior Wilson Andersen made four trips to Fort Myers and the FHSAA state series, and wrapped up his highly-decorated high school playing career with two gold medals dangling from his neck.

But that first trip in 2023, and the season where the then-freshman pitched in 17 games,  posted a 2.97 ERA and led the Tigers with 52 strikeouts, was not the beginning of his Jesuit story.

 

That started eight years earlier, and coincided with the hiring of current Tigers head coach Miguel Menendez – while Andersen’s eldest brother, Carter, was a freshman. Two seasons later, Wilson Andersen got to see first-hand the tradition of Jesuit baseball – a tradition which now includes the program’s eighth baseball state title, sealed by a six-plus-inning, 12-strikeout shutout performance from a player who has spent 12 years growing up wearing the school’s blue and white colors.

Andersen said after Wednesday’s 9-0, Class 4A state title win against Orlando’s Bishop Moore, that he reflected on one game from his brother’s high school career in a quiet moment at Hyer Family Park last weekend.

“I grew up going to Jesuit games for my brother,” Andersen said. “I watched them lose in the state championship (against Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy).

“There is this place under the bleachers where you can throw rocks at the wall, and I caught myself doing that the other day, and I told myself, ‘I have to go win this for my five-year-old self.’”

That towheaded five-year-old inside is likely very proud of his older self, as Andersen capped his senior season by going a combined 3-for-5, with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Jesuit’s state semifinal win (5-2 against Green Cove Springs Clay) and the championship game.

Andersen earned a win on the mound in the Tigers 2023 state semifinal game, before the Tigers fell to Plantation American Heritage in the championship; locked down the save against AH for Jesuit’s seventh state title in 2024; and made the start in a loss in last season’s state semifinal against Mulberry.

So, when it came time for Menendez to plan his approach to this year’s Fort Myers run, the Tigers coach said he knew he had to set things up for his veteran to get the chance to bring home the title.

“(Wilson) was six years old when I got this job,” Menendez said, “when his oldest brother Carter was a freshman on my first (Jesuit) team. I’ve seen Wilson grow up with us, and to have him start this game was very special.”

Wilson Andersen hugs his catcher Brady Marshall during the post-championship win celebration.

To get to that point however, Jesuit needed a decisive effort in the state semifinal. Up for that challenge was Andersen’s teammate Kaden Waechter, who pitched a complete-game gem against Clay (a 5-2 victory) and booked the Tigers a spot in the championship game.

The two starting performances were the key that ignited the total-team effort in the state series according to junior catcher Brady Marshall, who caught all 14 innings in the blistering sun in this week’s two Tigers wins.

“They both trusted the guys behind them,” Marshall said of this week’s two final four starting pitchers. “Yeah, they’re gonna throw strikes, always, and try and create swing-and-misses, but it really comes down to the energy they give our dugout. When those guys bring it, it’s very hard to beat us.”

Menendez said amidst all the outside distractions for his two highly-touted draft prospect pitchers (Waechter is ranked No. 44 in the most-recent MLB.com 2026 Draft Prospect rankings, and Andersen is No. 94), it would have been easy for them to buy into the hype and focus on themselves.

But that isn’t the kind of players Andersen and Waechter are.

“It’s so comforting for us,” Menendez said. “He and Kaden, as much as everybody – all the scouts – are here to see them, all they ever cared about was this team – about this team winning another state championship.”

On Wednesday, Andersen took to the mound for the seventh inning and retired the first batter he faced with a fly ball to rightfield, and Menendez walked out to relieve his starter after 100 pitches, and allow the Jesuit parents, players and fans a chance to recognize his efforts with a standing ovation as he departed the field.

To go along with his 11-2 record on the mound this season, Wilson Andersen also batted .426, with 36 RBI, 20 runs, 11 doubles, four triples and four home runs. He leaves Jesuit with 66 career hits.

From there, fellow senior Ben Burke moved from left field to the mound and finished up the shutout win for his classmate and longtime friend.

“He’s an unbelievable player, teammate and friend,” fellow senior Ben Burke said of Andersen. “I’ve known him since we were four years old, and he has been exactly the same that whole time.

“He’s just a great person to be around, who is always pushing everyone around him to be their best. Not to mention he’s a great athlete.”

Wilson Andersen (No. 5) leaps on top of the team dogpile after the final out of the 2026 state title win.

A story that started 12 years ago, saw its final page written with a glorious last game performance, a hero’s send-off, a dogpile with his friends and gold around his neck.

“This has been the best four years,” he said. “I can’t thank the people at Jesuit enough, I can’t thank God enough. I love this team so much, I love this school so much, and I love the coaches so much. This has been the most special thing ever – playing here at Jesuit.”