Former University of Miami (FL) standout Brian Walker will serve his third season as the pitching coach for the University of Delaware baseball team in 2009. He was hired by head coach Jim Sherman on Aug. 24, 2006.
In his first season with the Hens, Walker led a pitching staff that compiled a 4.59 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .256 batting average, the lowest OBA since the 1995 staff held opponents to a .200 mark. The 2007 staff also held opponents to the fewest home runs (29) and fewest hits (479) in over a decade.
Following Walker's first season, three Blue Hen pitchers were selected in the 2007 Major League Baseball first-year player draft, tying a school record set in 1983. Billy Harris went in the 25th round to the Philadelphia Phillies, Chad Kerfoot was picked in the 30th round by the Oakland Athletics, and Mike McGuire was selected in the 46th round by the Cincinnati Reds. Additionally, Brent Gaphardt signed with the Seattle Mariners a week before the draft. After selecting him in the 21st round in 2006, Seattle retained Gaphardt’s rights until 10 days prior to the 2007 draft because of his status as a fifth-year senior.
Although the program lost much of its rotation to the Major League draft, Walker helped guide a youthful pitching staff in 2008 to a few milestones. Senior closer David Slovak tied the program record for career saves with 18, while freshman Michael Londino became the first Blue Hen reliever to earn CAA Rookie of the Week accolades. The Delaware team's earned run average also was over half-a-run lower than its opponents' ERA during the season.
Walker, a native of Miami, FL, compiled a 26-5 record in three seasons as a left-handed pitcher at the University of Miami (FL) and was drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 Major League Baseball first-year player draft by the New York Mets. He spent five seasons in the Mets’ organization, splitting time between Brooklyn, Capital City and St. Lucie. He will serve as the Blue Hens’ pitching coach.
“We are excited to add Brian to our staff. We think it’s a great opportunity to have someone with his background, both playing at Miami and professionally,” said Sherman in announcing his hiring. “I feel from a recruiting standpoint, this gives us a great opportunity to utilize Brian’s talents and to develop a pitching staff that can compete on a national level.”
While at Miami, Walker was a member of two College World Series championship teams, helping the Hurricanes win it all as a freshman in 1999 and as a junior in 2001. As a sophomore in 2000, he posted a 12-2 record with 88 strikeouts in 99 innings. He followed up his outsanding sophomore season by going 12-1 for the national champion Hurricanes, including a win over USC in Omaha during the College World Series.
Following his selection by the Mets, Walker compiled a 17-13 record with a 3.66 earned run average and struck out 212 in 244 innings in five minor league seasons.
Walker spent the summer of 2006 as the pitching coach for the North Adams Steeplecats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The Steeplecats posted a 25-17 record, and Walker guided a pitching staff that issued the fewest walks in the NECBL and finished with a 2.67 team ERA, both new franchise records.
The son of Don and Susan Walker of Deland, Florida, Walker earned his degree in criminology from Miami in 2005. He resides in the Newark area.
Pitching Coach Brian Walker