Senior Brooks Wilson knew that something special might be going on with Stetson baseball, which is why he decided to return to DeLand for one final season, even after getting drafted by the Texas Rangers last summer.
 
If Friday night's 6-5 come-from-behind victory over Manhattan is any indication, special is exactly what Wilson and the Hatters may get to experience this year.
 
Wilson, who for the past three years has been almost exclusively a starting pitcher, had a one-out triple in the eighth inning of a tie game and scored the winning run on a wild pitch before heading to the mound in the ninth as the Stetson closer, retiring the visiting Jaspers in order for his first collegiate save.
 
It was Wilson's 50^th career pitching appearance for Stetson.
 
The win snapped the Hatters' five-year losing streak in season-openers and got the 20^th season at Melching Field off on the right foot.
 
Stetson had to rally from behind to win the game after one bad pitch from starter Logan Gilbert to Manhattan cleanup hitter Matt Forlow in the fifth inning left the yard. The problem was that the home run came after Gilbert surrendered a single through the right side, a walk and a hit batter.
 
Forlow's grand slam turned a 2-1 Stetson lead into a 5-2 deficit.
 
For the Jaspers, that was the final hit of the night as Stetson pitchers – Gilbert, Ben Onyshko (1-0) and Wilson – got the final 12 outs while allowing just one base runner, that coming on a walk.
 
Onyshko got the win by slamming the door on Manhattan for 2.2 innings, using just 26 pitches to get eight outs, with four coming on strikes. Overall, the trio of Hatters hurlers allowed just five hits and recorded 15 strikeouts.
 
Offensively, the Hatters got off to a little bit of a slow start against Manhattan starter Joe Jacques. The side-winding left-hander scattered 11 hits over five frames, but also struck out nine as Stetson left runners on base in every inning.
 
Stetson got on the board first, scoring an unearned run in the second when Jonathan Meola singled home Mike Spooner, who had reached on a 15-foot single and moved up on an error on a pick-off throw.
 
The Jaspers answered that run in the third when catcher Fabian Pena delivered a two-out double down the left field line to score Richie Barrella.
 
The Hatters regained the lead in the fourth when Jorge Arenas doubled, the first of two in the game, and scored on an Austin Hale single.
 
After the Forlow grand slam, Stetson came right back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring a pair of runs. Spooner singled home Baylen Sparks, who reached on a hot grounder through the first baseman's legs, and then Hale delivered with another two-out single, this time scoring Austin Bogart.
 
It was Spooner who was in on the action again in the seventh inning when he reached on a fielder's choice against Manhattan reliever T.J. Stewart, moved up on a wild pitch, and then scoring on the second Arenas double of the night.
 
Wilson's one-out triple in the eighth came off losing pitcher Matt Simonetti, who had two of the five wild pitches in the game for the Jaspers.
 
Sparks, Bogart, Spooner, Arenas and Hale had two hits each for the Hatters.
 
Stetson will try to get the series win on Saturday when junior Jack Perkins goes to the mound to square off against sophomore right-hander Nick Massa. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.