Almost four years ago, Colton Walker dealt with the news that his older brother Dakota had been diagnosed with Burkitt’s Leukemia.
Through long trips and hours of radiation, the elder Walker bravely overcame his bout with cancer and was able to continue playing at the collegiate level.
Now Colton will continue that legacy at Blue Mountain Community College, where he received a scholarship to play baseball for the Timberwolves.
Colton calls Dakota the most inspirational person in his life.
“My brother Dakota battled cancer and still proceeded to come back and play ball, receiving a scholarship,” Colton said.
Colton has won a state Babe Ruth championship and was key component in leading The Dalles High School to a playoff berth in 2014.
Colton Walker was also an honorable mention selection this past season, as he posted 57 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings pitched and allowed 41 earned runs for a 4.89 earned run average for the 10-win TD baseball team.
Colton saw his velocity improve and he has added a slider and a sinker to his repertoire.
He still has one season to go at the high school level, but is excited for the opportunity to show his stuff at the collegiate level.
“It feels really good to be able to have an opportunity to get an education and also play a sport I have grown up playing since I was five or six years old,” Colton Walker said. “I have grown to love it with a passion. To be able to play at least a couple more years has me super excited. I am one of the only kids in the school that is going on to play another sport, so I feel that I am lucky to have that chance.”
TD head coach J.R. Runyon praised Walker, adding that his competitive nature, work ethic and leadership are his best qualities.
It is the things exercised when no one else is looking that sets Walker apart from a lot of other athletes.
“He has been doing all of the little things,” Runyon said. “He is a guy you don’t have to remind to do band work, he is already doing it. He is putting in the time in the weight room. He is doing throwing routines when he needs to do it. He is keeping himself in shape and he is motivating his teammates to get better every day as well. He is going to be a guy that will be missed after this year. I can’t wait for an exciting spring, and like I said, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”
Following up on theme of work ethic, Colton’s mother, Dana Ringlbauer, expressed pride in seeing her baby follow his dreams of playing baseball at the junior college level and beyond.
She has been there every step of the way and knows how much he has dedicated himself to being the best he could be.
“First, I am really proud of him. I see the extra work he puts in. A lot of people don’t see him up at 5 o’clock in the morning going to the gym, running and doing everything he can to improve,” Ringlbauer said. “He puts in that extra work to try and get somewhere. You can’t be more proud of kid who is able to sign that paper and go somewhere to continue his career and get an education.”
While at Blue Mountain, Walker, a student with a 3.52 grade point average in high school, plans to major in criminal justice.
He hopes to parlay that education into a career as a police officer or Drug Enforcement Agent.
BMCC head coach Brad Baker is entering his third year in the program, leading the Wolves from three wins to six to 15 last season.
Recruiting pitchers was a high priority, so bringing in the 6-foot-1 inch, 195-pound Walker was an easy choice.
“I was a pitching coach before I was a head coach, so I definitely wanted to get things turned around on the mound first,” Baker said. “We don’t run guys out there for nine innings like most teams do. We use a big league strategy with a lot of reliance on our bullpen. Colton is definitely going to be in that mix. He definitely has the opportunity to compete for serious innings right away as a freshman.”
Still a perfectionist, Walker knows a lot of work lies ahead, whether on the field, weight room or class room.
But, he is prepared for the challenge and excited for the opportunity to test himself against collegiate competition.
“I feel like I can get a lot better as long as I get my arm in shape a lot earlier,” Walker said. “In the past years, I would ease in as the season would start, but I focused more in the offseason on getting my arm in better shape, so I can get off to a fast start. I feel like by me being better prepared will help the team win and we go farther as a team and we can compete at a higher level.”
Walker adds his name to a long list of former TD athletes to make the jump into college sports, an accomplishment not lost on the mind of Runyon, a former athlete, who made the athletic jump.
“Any time you see a kid that goes on it is a great thing. It is not that easy to go on and play college athletics,” Runyon said. “When you get those kids that are fortunate enough to be able to do that, it is an exciting time. It is about that hard work paying off and that is just fun to see. I am definitely proud of him and his commitment to the game and also to his academics, first and foremost.”
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