Louisiana State University is a hotbed for superstar athletes. Legends such as Pete Maravich, Shaquille O'Neal, and Joe Burrow all graced Baton Rouge with their talents over the years. Todd Walker absolutely belongs in that conversation, too.
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LSU baseball is known for producing Major League Baseball talent. The Tigers have been doing it for decades, and have six College World Series championship banners to show off at Alex Box Stadium in case anyone needs a reminder. So many great baseball players donned the purple and gold throughout the program's rich history, but perhaps none have been or will ever be as great as Walker.
Walker's list of accomplishments is mind-blowing. He's undoubtedly one of the greatest players in college baseball history, and his retired No. 12 jersey number proudly hovers over Skip Bertman Field today.
Todd Walker's LSU Career
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW7xjZHVFo0
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A native of Bossier City, Louisiana, and former Airline High School star, second baseman Todd Walker was the ultimate stud for the LSU Tigers baseball team. He was the first LSU player to hit .400 in a single season as a freshman, was a three-time First-Team All-SEC selection and two-time Baseball America First-Team All-American.
Walker did some incredible things for head coach Skip Bertman, many of them at the plate, but he really shined his sophomore season in helping the Tigers win the 1993 College World Series.
Batting .350 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in the CWS was insane. It's a big reason why he received the College World Series Most Outstanding Player award after defeating the Wichita State Shockers.
However, none of that would have been possible without his clutch walk-off single to beat Long Beach State.
Trailing 5-3 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, LSU needed a miracle to advance. The Tigers got just that from Walker, the SEC Player of the Year who ripped a 1-1 single off pitcher Gabe Gonzalez to secure a spot in the NCAA national championship showdown in Omaha.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI_KrmrvkvU
Walker, one of the fiercest hitters ever, left LSU after three seasons as the SEC's all-time leader in hits (310), RBI (246), runs scored (234) and total bases (557). He was selected eighth overall in the 1994 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins.
During his successful career in the big leagues, Walker had a .289 career batting average with 107 home runs and 545 RBIs with the Twins, Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics.
Walker is one of three former LSU players to be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, joining pitcher Ben McDonald and first baseman Eddy Furniss (Coach Skip Bertman is as well). He was also inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
When talking about all-time greats and LSU MVPs, Todd Walker must be in the conversation. Whether it was the regular season, the postseason, or the championship game, he almost always delivered.
