RHP Eli Walker attended Gulfport High School (MS) for his prep school education before enrolling at Jones College. An injured year was followed by a redshirt year. Walker got enough play as a freshman to grab the attention of the Mississippi State coaching staff. Walker had a great season just one season after joining the Bulldogs.
In 2024, Walker (5-1, 2.74 ERA) made thirteen appearances, eleven of which were starts. He gave up 33 hits and 15 earned runs in 49.1 innings of work. Walker walked 30 and struck out 52 batters. Just.191 was hit by opponents against him.
The Bobcats went 41-16 on the season and reached the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament. After four games in the post season, the team fell to LSU-Eunice to end tourney. With his JuCo career over, Walker has turned his full attention to his next stop, Mississippi State.
“Things have been going really good,” Walker shared. “I have just been staying in the weight room and working out. I am making sure I get healthy, stay healthy and get as strong as possible. The season went good. It was actually my first full season since I had Tommy John surgery two years ago. This was my first full season where I was really able to throw. I was a starter and I had a good year. I was a happy with it.”
“It was an awesome experience,” Walker said. “To me, all of this is a dream come true. Growing up in Mississippi, you dream of playing at a place like Mississippi State and playing in the SEC. Just when I got on campus, you could just feel that it was different. You can tell it’s the pinnacle of college baseball. It means everything to me.
“The goal was always to play against the best. To be able to stay in state and do that is pretty special. To be able to wear Mississippi on my chest, it means a lot to me. I played at Jones for a few years and of course we have three great D1 programs in Mississippi. In this state, baseball means everything. It means a lot to be able to play for a Mississippi school.”
