June 5, 2012
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina junior first baseman Christian Walker has been selected in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft. Walker was the No. 132nd overall pick in the draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He is the first current Gamecock player to be selected in the year’s draft. Walker earned first-team All-SEC honors this year and is the team’s leading hitter with a .319 average (67-for-210) with 44 runs scored, 11 homers and 53 RBI.
In SEC games, Walker was among the best in the conference as he ranked first in walks (28), second in runs scored (28), second in on-base percentage (.463), tied for second in home runs (7), tied for second in runs batted in (25), third in slugging percentage (.578) and sixth in total bases (59).
Walker is up to 238 career hits for the Garnet & Black, seven hits shy of Hank Small (1972-75) for 10th on the All-Time hits list at South Carolina. He has hit .337 (238-for-707) in his career at South Carolina with 30 homers, 44 doubles and 166 RBI.
Walker has also been key in clutch situations as he was named to both the 2010 and 2011 CWS All-Tournament teams as the Gamecocks won back-to-back national championships in Omaha.
The Baltimore Orioles have several former Gamecocks currently in the organization. Steve Pearce (2004-05) and Steve Tolleson (2003-05) are both currently in, “The Show,” with the Orioles right now with Brian Roberts (1999) on the disabled list. Justin Dalles (2009) is also a member of the organization at the Single-A level in Frederick of the Carolina League.
Christian Walker’s Career Highlights
2012 – Golden Spikes Award Watch List … Earned first-team All-SEC honors … RBI double in 5-4 win over Clemson in NCAA Regional (6/2) … 1-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored in 7-0 win over Manhattan in NCAA Regional (6/1) … RBI single in 7-2 loss to Florida at SEC Tournament (5/25) …RBI sacrifice fly and a triple in 5-3 win over Auburn at SEC Tournament (5/24) … Key three-run homer in 5-4 win over LSU (5/18) … 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored in 10-7 win at Arkansas (5/6) … 3-for-4 with a homer, a run scored and two RBI in the 7-6 loss at Arkansas (5/5) … 2-for-3 with four runs scored, a homer and two RBI in 12-11 win over Alabama (4/27) … 3-for-4 with a double and a triple as well as two RBI in the 5-3 win at Auburn (4/21) … Drove in three runs and scored a run in Mississippi State series … 3-for-4 with a run scored, a homer and two RBI in 5-4 loss to Francis Marion (4/11) … 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a RBI in the 8-0 win over The Citadel (4/10) … 1-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored in 6-1 win over Tennessee (4/8) … 1-for-5 with a two-run single in 5-4 loss to Tennessee (4/6) … 2-for-4 with a RBI single in the 7-0 win at College of Charleston (4/4) … 3-for-5 with game-winning two-run homer in 6-4 win over Vanderbilt in 13 innings (4/1) … First career two-homer game with three RBI and three runs scored in 8-3 win over Vanderbilt (3/30) … 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs scored in the 8-2 loss to Florida (3/23) … Walked season-high three times and scored two runs in 9-3 win over Florida (3/22) … Two-run homer in 5-4 loss to Wofford (3/21) … 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in 4-3 loss at Kentucky (3/17) … 3-for-4 with a RBI in the 6-4 win over Appalachian State (3/14) … 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and two RBI in 6-1 win over Princeton (3/10) … Went 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI in the 8-1 win over UNC Asheville (3/7) … RBI double and a run scored in the 9-6 win vs. Clemson (3/3) … RBI and a run scored in the 3-2 win vs. Clemson (3/2) … 2-for-2 with three-run homer and tied career-high with five RBI in 8-1 win over Elon (2/24) … Collected four hits, a run, and two RBI in the opening series vs. VMI … Two hits including a two-run single in 13-1 win over VMI (2/18).
2011 – Named to USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, could not participate due to broken hamate bone … Earned third-team All-America honors from Baseball America … Earned second-team All-SEC honors at first base and also named to SEC All-Defensive Team … College World Series All-Tournament Team … Played entire CWS Championship Series with a broken hamate bone in left wrist … 2-for-4 in 5-2 win over Florida as Gamecocks clinched national championship at College World Series (6/28) … 2-for-5 and scored winning run in 2-1 win over Florida in game one of championship series at College World Series (6/27) … 2-for-5 with two RBI in 7-1 win over Virginia at College World Series (6/21) … Team’s leading hitter, started all 69 games with a .358 batting average (97-for-271), 21 doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 62 RBI; had a .554 slugging percentage … Key solo home run in eighth inning to break 2-2 tie as South Carolina defeated Connecticut 8-2 in NCAA Super Regional (6/12) … Named to NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team … 3-for4- with a run scored in 8-2 win over Stetson in NCAA Regional (6/5) … 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored in 11-5 win over Stetson in NCAA Regional (6/4) … 3-for-4 with a run scored in 7-2 loss to Vanderbilt (5/26) … 1-for-3 with run scored and RBI in 3-2 win at Alabama (5/21) … 1-for-4 with three RBI in 6-3 win at Alabama (5/20) … Two-run single in 11-1 win over Charleston Southern (5/11) … 4-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored in 9-3 win at Wofford (5/4) … 2-for-5 with a RBI in 7-3 win over Auburn (5/1) … 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in 9-6 win over Liberty (4/26) … SEC Player of the Week after going 10-for-11 (.909) with four RBI and six runs scored in series at Mississippi State … 4-for-4 with a two-run homer, four RBI and three runs scored in 13-4 win at Mississippi State (4/24) … 2-for-2 in 5-3 loss at Mississippi State (4/23) … 4-for-5 with two runs scored in 8-2 win at Mississippi State (4/22) … Game-winning RBI single in 2-1 win at Tennessee (4/9) … Game-winning two-run homer in 2-0 win at Tennessee (4/8) … Career-high five hits, was 5-for-6 with career-high four runs, five RBI and a grand slam in 18-2 win over USC Upstate (4/5) …1-for-4 with two RBI in 4-1 win over Kentucky (4/3) … 2-for-4 with a homer, double and four RBI in the 6-4 win over The Citadel (3/30) … 1-for-4 with two RBI in the 9-2 win at Florida (3/25) … 2-for-4 and tied career-high with three runs scored in 17-8 win over Rhode Island (3/23) … Game-tying RBI double in the eighth inning of the 2-1 win over Georgia (3/19) … 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in 8-3 loss to CSU Bakersfield (3/13) … Key RBI single in 5-4 win over Clemson (3/8) … 2-for-4 with a solo home run in 10-5 loss at Clemson (3/6) … 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in 6-3 win over Clemson (3/4) … 2-for-3 with a homer, three runs scored and four RBI in 14-1 win over Furman (3/1) … Continued hot start with a good series vs. Southern Illinois hitting .545 (6-for-11) with four runs scored and a pair of RBI … 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI and two doubles in 9-4 win over Southern Illinois (2/27) … 2-for-4 with two runs scored in 10-6 win over Southern Illinois (2/25) … Strong series vs. Santa Clara batting .500 (6-for-12) with a homer and a team-high six RBI … 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in 6-0 win over Santa Clara (2/20) … Homered and went 2-for-4 with three RBI in 12-5 win over Santa Clara (2/18).
2010 – Freshman All-America selection by Baseball America … Named to College World Series All-Tournament Team … Named to SEC All-Freshman Team … 2-for-4 in 2-1 win over UCLA in national championship series victory at College World Series (6/29) … 2-for-5 with a run scored in 2-1 win over UCLA in national championship series at the College World Series (6/28) … 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in 4-3 win over Clemson at the College World Series (6/26) … 3-for-5 with a RBI in 3-2 win over Oklahoma at the College World Series (6/24) … 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored in 4-3 loss to Oklahoma at the College World Series (6/20) … Game-winning three-run homer in 10-9 win over Coastal Carolina in NCAA Super Regional (6/13) … 2-for-5 with a two-run single in 4-3 win over Coastal Carolina in NCAA Super Regional (6/12) … 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored in 10-2 win over Virginia Tech in NCAA Regional (6/6) … 2-for-4 in 3-0 loss to Ole Miss at SEC Tournament (5/26) … 2-for-5 with a triple in 11-6 win over Florida (5/22) … 2-for-3 with a solo homer in 10-2 win over Charleston Southern (5/12) … 4-for-6 with three runs scored, four RBI and tied school single-game record with three doubles in 13-9 win at Kentucky (5/7) … 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and three RBI in 14-6 win over Winthrop (5/5) … 2-for-5 with a double and three runs scored in 20-15 win over Alabama (5/2) … Hit a two-run homer and was 3-for-4 with two runs scored in 6-4 loss to Alabama (5/1) … 3-for-5 with a RBI and two runs scored in 8-7 win over Georgia (4/25) … Hit a grand slam homer in 9-5 win over Ole Miss (4/17) … Game-winning two-run triple in the seventh inning of the 10-7 win over Tennessee (3/20) … 1-for-4 with two RBI in 15-0 win at Furman (3/16) … 2-for-2 after coming off the bench in 6-5 win over Brown (3/14) … 2-for-5 with a double, run scored and two RBI in 15-0 win over Presbyterian (3/3) …. 8-for-14 (.571) in Duquesne series with a double, two homers, five runs scored and seven RBI … 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI in 5-3 win over Duquesne (2/21) … 4-for-5 with a double, home run, three runs scored and five RBI in 13-3 win over Duquesne (2/20) … 2-for-5 with a homer in 10-3 win over Duquesne (2/19).
