“Hayden Walker is a tremendous expression of New Mexico high school baseball values at their finest. He has an uncommon work ethic, which has allowed him to be an outlier amongst his peer group. His high character, success on and off the field and leadership are all deserving of the highest honors.”

Tim Campos

Head Coach Head coach at Manzano High

Athletic Excellence

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound junior left-handed pitcher led the Sartans to 24-5 record and the Class 4A state title this past season. Walker compiled a 9-1 record on the mound with one save, a 0.48 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched. He issued 19 walks, holding opponents to a .090 batting average and posting a WHIP of 0.621. Rated as the nation’s No. 206 left-handed pitcher in the Class of 2020 by Perfect Game, he earned Second Team All-State honors as a sophomore.

Academic Achievement

Walker has maintained a 3.46 GPA in the classroom. He has made a verbal commitment to play baseball on scholarship at Pepperdine University beginning in the fall of 2020.

Exemplary Character

A weekly volunteer at the Roadrunner Food Bank, Walker also donates his time to the Albuquerque Baseball Academy “Throw Cancer a Curve” charitable initiative. This season, he partnered with Kershaw’s Challenge, a faith-based non-profit empowering at-risk children that was launched by three-time Cy Young Award winning Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, the 2005-06 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year. As part of the organization’s Strikeout to Serve drive, Walker solicited $1 donations for every strikeout he recorded, raising more than $1,000 for charity with his season total of 95.