Gil Walker just completed his fourth season as assistant coach with the Blue Hose baseball program in the spring of 2021.
During the 2021 season, PC as a team connected on 47 homers which is tied for second in the Blue Hose DI record book. Zacchaeus Rasberry led the way with 10 homers and Eric Toth added nine while Sean Klein finished with eight.Rasberry also finished his Blue Hose career with 41 steals, most by a PC DI player.
The Blue Hose won their first Big South Championship in program history with two wins over Campbell and a victory over Gardner-Webb. PC earned a spot in the Nashville regional that saw them face host Vanderbilt and Indiana State.
Rasberry closed out his Blue Hose career with the DI program-record for stolen bases (41), second in slugging pct. (.519), fifth in batting avg. (.318), tied for fifth in home runs (17).
During the 2020 campaign, PC was tied for third in the Big South with nine home runs led by senior Tannor Byrd with three and Garrett Jones and Kyle Merkle with two apiece. The Blue Hose also swiped 22 bases in 16 games led by Zacchaeus Rasberry who had seven and David Sweat who recorded five steals. Rasberry was tied for second in the Big South with six doubles which also led the team.
In 2019, Walker helped lead the Blue Hose offense to its highest run total in the D1 era as PC scored 327 runs, the most in the Division I era, and had 17 different players scoring runs including Rasberry scoring a team-high 45. PC also swiped a D1 record with 90 stolen base led by Rasberry with his single season record 23. Presbyterian drew a D1 record 218 walks and second-most hit by pitches with 60. The Blue Hose hit 103 doubles, the second most in the Division I era, led by Nick Guimbarda with 17 doubles.
Right fielder Nick Guimbarda, second baseman Jimmy Marcelli and center fielder Zacchaeus Rasberry all were recognized on the 2019 Big South All-Conference teams.
In 2018, PC totaled 46 home runs, the third-most in the Division I era, and had 10 different players contribute to the total. White reached base safely for 28 games between March 2 - April 20. Priaulx went 5-for-5 at the plate twice within one week, and White managed the feat a few weeks later.
Walker comes to PC after spending two seasons as the volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater, Samford University. There he worked primarily with hitters and catchers, while also working with pitchers on arm strength development and recovery. The Bulldogs saw seven players sign professional contracts and seven earn All-Conference honors in Walker’s two seasons with the program.
Prior to his time at Samford, Walker spent two seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, Ala., serving under former Blue Hose head coach Doug Kovash. He served as the team’s hitting coach in addition to coaching the team’s infielders and catchers. During his time with the Cougars, 19 players went on to play at four-year schools, including seven at Division I programs, with the team making the conference tournament for the first time in school history in 2015 as the No. 3 seed.
Walker, a native of Birmingham, Ala., capped off his playing career with two seasons at Samford in 2011 and 2012, after two seasons at Wallace State Community College. He was member of the 2012 Bulldog team that is considered one of the best in school history, as they won 41 games en route to a SoCon Championship and an NCAA Tournament Appearance, advancing to the final of the Tallahassee Regional against Florida State.
Walker graduated from Samford in December of 2012 with a bachelor of science degree in sports administration. He is married to the former Kathryn Heasley.
His father, Tommy Walker, was inducted in to the Alabama Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014. Tommy won 187 games as Samford’s head coach from 1989-1997, three Class 5A state titles as Spanish Fort’s coach from 2005-2012 and a pair of area championships in a three-year tenure at Vestavia Hills. In 16 years as a high school head coach, the eldest Walker has a 368-201 record with 14 playoff appearances and has coached 42 players who went on to college baseball careers with eight successfully making it to the major leagues.
