By Robert Wilson
Friend Walker was a senior and his younger brother, John William, was a sophomore when St. Andrew’s won a state baseball championship in 2024.
Now, John William is a senior and he wants to lead the Saints to a state title in his last high school season like his older brother.
John William Walker, a shortstop-pitcher, got St. Andrew’s off to a great start toward another state title this past week with a two-game sweep over Raleigh in the first round of the MHSAA Class 3A playoffs.
Walker had a .600 batting average (9 for 15), with 5 runs scored, 5 runs batted in, 2 stolen bases and 1 double and threw 9 innings and allowed 7 hits, 2 earned runs with 1 walk and 10 strikeouts in wins over Lawrence County and Lake in addition to the two wins over Raleigh last week.
For his outstanding performance, Walker has been named the Box Sports Academy/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Baseball Player of the Week.
Walker had a double and three singles, scored three runs, had two RBIs and a stolen base and got the pitching win with 2 2/3 innings in relief without allowing a hit in a 16-9 victory over Lawrence County, three singles, scored a run and had a stolen base in a 14-7 victory over Lake, had one single, scored one run and pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed seven hits, two earned runs with one walk and nine strikeouts in a 12-5 victory over Raleigh and had one hit and three RBIs in a 4-2 victory over Raleigh last week.
Walker has a team-high .453 batting average with a team-high 44 runs scored, 17 RBIs, a team-high 8 doubles, 2 triples and a team-high 21 stolen bases and has a 4-1 pitching record and three saves with a 2.73 earned run average with 13 walks and 47 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings this season for St. Andrews, which has a 23-7 record and is ranked No. 4 in MHSAA Class 3A and No. 28 in Mississippi entering this week.
“We played four games last week and John William had a part of us winning all of them,” St. Andrew’s coach Mark Fanning said. “He came in relief against Lawrence County and picked up the pitching win and then started our first playoff game at Raleigh, also picking up the pitching victory. He also ended up with nine hits in 15 at bats and played good defense all week. John William has been a major contributor for us for the last three seasons on the varsity level. He was first put onto the field because he played good defense, but his speed and ability to make good contact made him an immediate offensive threat also. He was a key player on our 2024 state championship team and has continued to improve as a player each year. We like to use him mostly as a relief pitcher, but have needed him to start several games for us this year on the mound. His steady play at shortstop the last two years has been huge for our team defense and he is always a tough out at the plate. John William was recruited by several schools in the fall to play football, but has chosen to continue his baseball career at Mississippi College.”
Walker’s older brother, Friend, played third base and pitched and helped St. Andrew’s to a 32-7 record and the MHSAA Class 3A state championship in 2024, the first state baseball title at St. Andrew’s since 2018 and second one in 39 years. John William played second base that year and led the team with a .412 batting average.
John William had a .465 batting average with 38 runs scored, 30 RBIs, 8 doubles, 1 triple and 13 stolen bases and helped St. Andrew’s to a 22-11 record and reached the second round of the 3A state playoffs last season as a junior.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Walker played wide receiver and defensive back in football. He led the team with 55 catches for 975 yards and 12 touchdowns and had 25 tackles on defense this season.
Walker was named the Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week in the fall of 2024. He had seven catches for a career-high 183 yards and four touchdowns, had five tackles, an interception and pass deflection, in a 32-27 victory over Puckett in a Class 2A, Region 6 game.
Walker is the son of Tom and Crissie Walker. Tom played baseball at Forest High and graduated from Mississippi State with a law degree from Ole Miss. Crissie was a cheerleader at Lake High and graduated from the Mississippi University for Women. His brother Friend played football and baseball at St. Andrew’s and is now a sophomore at Mississippi College. He is majoring in Christian Studies and planning on going to seminary. Walker’s uncle, Jason Wooten, played baseball at Lake and East Central Community College.
St. Andrews plays Presbyterian Christian School in a best of three series in the second round of the 3A state playoffs later this week. PCS plays host in the first game Friday at 7 p.m. and St. Andrew’s plays host in the second game Saturday at 7 p.m. The third game, if necessary, at PCS Monday at 7 p.m.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a baseball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by sending a text to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
WEEK ONE: Deuce Jenkins, Jackson Academy
WEEK TWO: Henry Abt, Hartfield Academy
WEEK THREE: Justin Word, Jackson Academy
WEEK FOUR: Reed Sandberg, Madison Central
WEEK FIVE: Bryce Johnson, Germantown
WEEK SIX: Cash Myrick, St. Andrew’s
