Pete Wilk
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- Position:
- Coach
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- Year:
- 2025 (Posthumous)
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- Team:
- Vermont Lake Monsters
Bio
Following two decades as a Division 1 head coach at Georgetown University, the late Wilk joined the Vermont Lake Monsters as their inaugural Futures League field manager in 2021 and made a lasting impact on both the Burlington community and the league as a whole. On the field, Wilk led Vermont to single-season league record win totals in the first two of his three seasons at the helm, winning 42 games in 2021 and 44 in 2022. The team’s 2021 league debut culminated in a postseason championship, as Wilk went on to become the first two-time Manager of the Year in league history the following year. Wilk was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in February of 2023 and inspired the baseball world by returning to Burlington for the final few weeks of that summer season, alongside his wife (Erin) and daughters (Reese and Casey). He lost his 15-month battle in April of 2024. In his memory, the Futures League now gives out the Pete Wilk Award annually to a persevering individual who has overcome injury, illness or personal tragedy to make an impact for their team on or off the field, as that is exactly what Wilk did throughout his life.