Starr’s Mill graduate Lindsay Walker almost made the College World Series in her freshman year at the University of South Carolina. The Gamecocks lost to Northwestern, the 2006 runner-up, in two games over the weekend. Still, the team should hold their heads high. They entered the postseason as an unseeded team and made it to the brink of college softball’s biggest stage.

The future looks bright for the squad, too. The team will only graduate one player from the team and Walker is one of six freshmen who will be back. Their taste of success should only propel them deeper into next year’s tournament.

As if to announce to the world that the Gamecocks would be back next year, Walker hit a home run for the team’s only score against Northwestern this past weekend.

“I was excited to hit the home run, but it would have been better if the game were closer,” Walker said.

Walker, the starting shortstop for the team, played in every game this season for South Carolina, batting .267 with 50 hits, two home runs, one triple, eight doubles and 20 RBIs. She was second on the team in RBIs and was in the top five of almost every offensive category for the team. Walker knew starting this year would be a possibility if she worked hard.

“It was a lot of hard work and at times it was really tough, but it was awesome. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world,” Walker said. The team started training and conditioning last August and though Walker is home for a few weeks of rest and relaxation, summer training will start up again soon.

The highlight of the season for Walker was the way the team played in the Regionals. The Gamecocks trailed Oregon 3-0 in the sixth inning and came back to win the game and the series.
“Everything came together for us and we played so well,” Walker said.

Walker was a four-year letter-winner in softball at Starr’s Mill and helped her team advance to the state playoffs all four years. She was named to the all-region team for four straight years and made the all-state team three of her four years.

At South Carolina this year, Walker, an exercise science major, is also doing exceptionally well academically. She has made the President’s List in both semesters and is a student-athlete that Fayette County continues to be proud of.

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