Hilton was acquired from the Texas AirHogs along with pitcher Jesse Pratt in exchange for outfielder Greg Golson. Originally signed by the AirHogs after beginning the 2017 season in the Desert League with the Somerton Cañeros, the right-hander appeared in 11 games for Texas, finishing the year 1-2 with a 4.93 ERA. Two of those outings came against the Wingnuts, including 4.2 scoreless innings on August 26 in which Hilton struck out six. In his final outing of 2017, the 26-year old fired a complete game with eight punchouts against the Salina Stockade. Prior to making his professional debut, Hilton played collegiately at Division II Cal State-San Marcos. Pitching for the Cougars from 2012-2014, Hilton went 10-7 with a 4.15 ERA in 56 games, tossing four complete games and notching a pair of saves.