At one time or another, Conner Wilkinson has played nearly every position on the baseball field. He started this season at second base. Recently, he’s been playing center field. Occasionally, to shore up the defense on pitching changes, he moves to third.

No one, however, could ever remember him playing shortstop. That didn’t stop Wilkinson from handling the position like a pro Friday night, with the game and season on the line.

Wilkinson, Warren Central’s Swiss army knife of a baseball player, smoothly handled a hard-hit ball up the middle and started a 6-4-3 double play with a quick flip to second baseman Tanner Chambers. It was instrumental in allowing the Vikings to escape a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the seventh inning and preserve a 3-2 victory in Game 2 of their Class 6A playoff series with Northwest Rankin.

The Vikings and Cougars will play a deciding Game 3 Monday night at 7 at Warren Central.

“Conner Wilkinson hasn’t played shortstop in his career. We moved him to shortstop and boom, he rolls a double play,” Warren Central coach Conner Douglas said. “He played his tail off. When you hustle like he does, those things are going to happen. He rebounded tonight and had a heck of a night. That right there won the game for us, that double play.”

What Wilkinson rebounded from was a nightmarish Game 1 in the best-of-three series. In the same inning, Wilkinson dropped a fly ball and misplayed a hard single to center field that allowed Northwest Rankin to score its first three runs in a 10-0 victory on Thursday.

Although Wilkinson wasn’t alone in having a bad night — the Vikings committed a season-high six errors by four different players — he did seem to take it the hardest. Long after his teammates had cleared out of the dugout, Wilkinson sat alone with his head in his hands.

He’d regrouped by Friday night and his ever-present smile returned. It got bigger as the game went on as he redeemed himself with several sharp plays. Twice he ran down sinking line drives to steal hits from the Cougars and end scoring threats.

Then, with no outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the Vikings clinging to a 3-1 lead, he was called on to play shortstop. Wilkinson is Warren Central’s utility player, capable of playing nearly any position.

“He could play catcher for us if he had to,” Douglas said.

Playing shortstop, however, was a move no one expected. Not even Brooks Boolos, the guy he replaced. Boolos moved from shortstop to the pitcher’s mound to try and get the Vikings out of the jam.

“I didn’t even know Conner was playing shortstop,” Boolos said with a chuckle.

He was glad he did, though. Tyler Kersh hit a hard grounder up the middle that went through Boolos’ legs and seemed headed to the outfield for a potential game-tying single. Wilkinson snagged it behind second base and flipped it to Chambers, who threw to first for the double play.

Two batters later, Boolos got Nic Hodges to fly out to right field for the final out as Warren Central escaped with a 3-2 victory.

“Conner, who has not played short one time all year, not even practiced there, made an unbeliveable double play. I knew I had it then,” Boolos said.

Wilkinson’s play was the kind of thing the Vikings have come to expect from the senior, and part of the reason he earned a scholarship offer from Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Wilkinson signed with the Wolves in March.

Wilkinson has only made one error this season outside of his Game 1 debacle while playing second base, center field, and occasionally third base. He made 16 last season. He said Co-Lin plans to use him as an outfielder next season.

“I enjoy the outfield. I guess that’s why I’m a utility player. I can go anywhere and get used to it,” Wilkinson said.

He’s also been versatile at the plate, hitting .316 while tying with Tyler McRight and Tyler Vroman for the team lead with 21 RBIs. He’s also scored 20 runs. A contact hitter who hits a lot of line drives, he spent a good part of the season batting second but has been the Vikings’ cleanup batter for both games of the Northwest Rankin series.

“He’s a dirtbag,” Douglas said, using a term of endearment in baseball circles for a hard-working player. “He’s one of those players you wish you had nine of. He’s a hard worker. He’s worked himself into being a college baseball player. He’s the kind of kid you want your son to mimic, because he’s never in trouble, he makes good grades, and he’s just a hard worker. Good things happen to good people, and he’s one of them.”

The best thing that can happen, Wilkinson hopes, is for the Vikings to win their first state championship since 2001. Whether their season ends in a few weeks at Trustmark Park or Monday night in Game 3 against Northwest Rankin, however, there’s still more baseball ahead for him.

Wilkinson turned down walk-on offers at Hinds and Northwest Mississippi to sign with Co-Lin. Although Co-Lin was his only scholarship offer, he said that wasn’t the only reason he decided to go there.

“They’re building a program. It’s a good chance for me to start getting playing time my freshman year,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson added that having a plan for the future will help him concentrate on the rest of the high school season — no matter where he winds up on the field.

“It definitely makes you feel better knowing you’ve got the next two years figured out,” he said. “You can concentrate on high school baseball now. You’re not worried for a while.”

WARREN CENTRAL VS. NORTHWEST RANKIN

MHSAA Class 6A baseball playoffs

Game 1: Northwest Rankin 10, Warren Central 0

Game 2: Warren Central 3, Northwest Rankin 2

Game 3: Monday, 7 p.m., at Warren Central