2018 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2017 Freshman All-American (D1 Baseball, Baseball America, Perfect Game, NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball)
2017 Freshman All-SEC
SEC Pitcher of the Week (April 10, 2017)
2017 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
2017 Louisiana Freshman of the Year
Outstanding pitcher who enjoyed a tremendous freshman season at LSU; however, he suffered a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow near the end of the season and underwent Tommy John surgery over the summer … Walker missed the entire 2018 season, but returns to the mound in 2019 … his elite pitchability, command of three pitches and his ability to fill up the zone with strike after strike is reminiscent of former LSU greats Aaron Nola and Jared Bradford … in addition to his great high school baseball career, Walker was a three-year starting quarterback for an outstanding football team at the 6A level in Texas, and he is a tremendous leader … a member of the 2017 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll and the 2018 SEC Academic Honor Roll as a finance major.
2018 Season
Received a medical redshirt after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2017 and sitting out the entire 2018 season.
2017 Season
Started 17 games as a member of the Tigers’ weekend rotation, posting an 8-2 mark and a 3.48 ERA in 95.2 innings with 23 walks and 78 strikeouts … 2-1 record with a 1.02 ERA in three postseason starts (SEC and NCAA Tournaments combined), firing 16 strikeouts in 17.2 innings … pitched two innings in College World Series second round game versus Oregon State (June 19) before having to leave the contest with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow … defeated Rice in the championship game of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional (June 4), blanking the Owls through eight innings with seven hits, no walks and a career high-tying eight strikeouts … brilliant outing in SEC Tournament championship game win over Arkansas (May 28), limiting the Razorbacks to one run on five hits in 7.2 innings with one walk and a career high-tying eight strikeouts … Walker was only four outs away from throwing the first nine-inning no-hitter at LSU in 55 years before allowing a solo home run with two outs in the eighth inning on May 13 versus Auburn; he fired 7.2 hitless innings with three walks and three strikeouts before the no-hit bid ended in the eighth … finished out the eighth inning by striking out the next Auburn batter after the home run, and he earned his sixth win in seven decisions as LSU completed a series sweep … recorded a victory on April 15 over Ole Miss, limiting the Rebels to two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings with no walks and five strikeouts … he increased his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 18 before the Rebels scored a run against him in the top of the third inning … named the SEC Pitcher of the Week on April 10 after firing a shutout on April 9 at Arkansas, defeating the Razorbacks, 2-0, for his first career complete game in just his eighth collegiate start … blanked Arkansas by limiting the Razorbacks to just four hits with two walks and four strikeouts and allowing just one player to advance beyond second base … threw a career-high 119 pitches in the Arkansas game and extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 16 … the shutout against Arkansas was the first recorded by an LSU pitcher since May 30, 2015, when Alex Lange blanked UNC Wilmington in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional … excellent outing versus Texas A&M (April 1) as he blanked the Aggies in seven innings of work, allowing just three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts … fired a career-high 108 pitches in the outing, which was a no-decision after the Aggies rallied against the LSU bullpen … defeated Georgia (March 19) in his first career SEC start, limiting the Bulldogs to three runs on five hits in six innings with no walks and a career-best eight strikeouts … earned win over Wichita State (March 12), limiting the Shockers to no runs on three hits in six innings with two walks and three strikeouts … fired seven strikeouts against Texas Tech (March 5), limiting the Red Raiders to one run on six hits with no walks.
Prior to LSU
Compiled a 27-5 record with 295 strikeouts in three seasons as a starting pitcher in high school … posted a 7-3 mark his senior year with a 1.24 ERA and 95 strikeouts, and recorded 13, 14 and 15-strikeout games during the season … posted a 14-0 mark in his junior season with a 0.85 ERA and 113 strikeouts; recorded 12 complete games and led team to state runners-up finish … named 2015 Dallas/Fort Worth All-Area Pitcher of the Year … also received numerous All-State, All-Dallas/Fort Worth Area and All-District accolades in his junior and senior seasons.
Personal
Parents are Dean and Tammy Walker … father is a real estate appraiser, mother is a flight attendant … has one older brother, Ryan, who played baseball at UT-Arlington and is now in Double-A with the Minnesota Twins organization … on his decision to attend LSU – “I came to LSU to play for the best team in college baseball, and be a part of a city, community and group of friends that thrives on competition, winning and battling in tough situations, so that when I leave, if it’s for baseball or for the real world, I’ll be changed for the better.” … majoring in finance at LSU.
Walker’s LSU Career Highs
Innings: 9.0 at Arkansas (4/9/17)
Strikeouts: 8 three times; most recently vs. Rice (6/4/17)
Hits Allowed: 7 five times; most recently vs. Rice (6/4/17)
Runs: 7 at Kentucky (4/23/17)
Earned Runs: 7 at Kentucky (4/23/17)
Walks: 4 at Florida (3/26/17)