When Austin Peay snatched McMinnville native Jamie Walker from under the nose of rival Middle Tennessee, the left-hander represented the benchmark of how future Governors hurlers would be judged.
Walker came to Austin Peay in Fall 1989, and he was a pitcher that immediately stood out. Being left-handed with a good fastball, he recorded a 5-1 record that promised even greater things to come.
The lefty was elevated to the No. 1 pitching role a year later, surrounded by a young baseball team. The Govs embarked on an ambitious schedule that saw him take the mound against such top programs as Wichita State. He never refused the ball, and his 3-9 record was not indicative of his performance.
But that sophomore season provided the basis not only for his junior season but also for his future baseball career as well. As a junior, Walker became the OVC’s dominant hurler, earning first-team All-OVC and “Pitcher of the Year” honors. The workhorse ace hurler pitched in 20 games that season, 15 as a starter, going 9-5 with a 2.74 ERA—the sixth-best ERA all-time—in 108.3 innings, second most in school history.
His 89 strikeouts that season still ranks as the all-time single-season best as does his two shutouts (tied with three others). His nine wins rank fourth best all-time while his eight complete games are tied for first.
Following his junior season, he was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 10th round and began his professional career. He certainly left his mark on the the APSU record books. Walker completed his APSU career with a 17-15 record, with the 17 victories ranking fifth all-time career-wise. Despite pitching just three seasons, he is first in career shutouts (three), third in complete games (13), seventh in games started (54) and eighth in innings pitched (243).
He spent five seasons with the Astros organization before signing as a minor league free agent with the Atlanta Braves in the winter prior to the 1997 season. After a strong spring training, he got his professional break when the Braves shipped him along with Jermaine Dye to the Kansas City Royals for Michael Tucker and Keith Lockhart. He made his major league debut that season, pitching in 50 games in 1997 as both a starter and reliever. He also recorded his first career victory.
A year later, he again was a member of the major league team before injuries ended his season. He had shoulder surgery late in the season. For the next three seasons, he continued to battle a succession of injuries while hurling at the Class AAA level.
But the persistence he displayed during his young Gov days finally paid off. He signed with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent in November 2001 and enjoyed an outstanding spring training. Although he was optioned to Class AAA again to start the season, he was recalled in April and enjoyed his career’s finest season.
Serving mostly as a relief specialist against left-handed hitters, he finished the season 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA. He also recorded his career’s first save. As a result, for the first time since 1997, Walker enters spring training on the major league roster.
