A highly accomplished former collegiate baseball player. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he graduated from McKinley High School before attending the University of Missouri-Columbia for two years, where he practiced with the baseball team.

Pilz then transferred to William Jewell College, where he truly excelled on the baseball field, lettering twice in 1962 and 1963. In his standout 1963 season, playing as a third baseman, he led William Jewell and the MCAU conference in several key offensive categories: he posted a .442 batting average (ranking 9th in the NAIA), hit 11 home runs (2nd in the NAIA), accumulated 82 total bases (5th in the NAIA), and achieved an impressive .863 slugging percentage (3rd in the NAIA). For his exceptional performance, he was named 1st Team All-Conference, the Cardinals' Most Valuable Player, and became Jewell's first-ever NAIA 2nd Team All-American in Baseball. During his two seasons at Jewell, the Cardinals won the MCAU Championship both years, compiling a combined record of 30-24.

After graduating with an Economics degree, Pilz worked for Trans World Airlines, Herff Jones, and Rite Sole before establishing his own sales organization. He and his wife, Lynn, reside in St. Louis, Missouri, and have four children. In recognition of his outstanding collegiate career, Charlie Pilz was inducted into the William Jewell College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.