Cleburne’s Cooper Walls signed to play baseball with Navarro Junior College and Head Coach Whoa Deal on Friday at Cleburne High School.
Walls, a hard-throwing senior, is one of several returning seniors for Cleburne this year and is expected to play a big role in the Yellow Jackets’ push for a state tournament berth.
After recovering from arm surgery, Walls is reportedly throwing “in the mid 90s” according to Cleburne Head Coach Ross Taylor.
Walls and the rest of the Yellow Jackets were paid a visit by New York Mets starting pitcher and former Yellow Jacket Dillon Gee on Thursday, and Walls said he sees similarities between Gee’s journey and his own.
“It was awesome seeing him,” Walls said. “He was where I was at one point and it’s cool to know he’s living the dream. He was where I was.”
Taylor said he expects Walls to excel at the junior college level and ultimately move on to a bigger Division I school like his son, Ty Taylor, who is playing for the University of Oklahoma after a year at Weatherford College.
“I think that Cooper will go in and prove that he can hit guys at that level who are throwing in the 90s consistently,” Taylor said. “He has a great arm and he can cover a lot of ground in the outfield. He’ll be getting to pitch some and that’s going to hopefully be an area where he can make a big stride this year and help him down the road.
“I see him in a year or two, at the most, at a big Division I school, hopefully.”
Taylor agreed that Gee can be an inspiration for Walls.
“He was special in his own way and a really good high school ball player,” Taylor said. He’s proven he can pitch at the major league level and he’s made it more real for some of these other guys.”
Walls said he can focus on this season more now that the signing is over and done with.
“We’re returning a lot of people this year, and we should be good,” he said. “I know we’re going to be and now that I signed, I can relax and it’ll help me and the rest of the team.
“I want to go in there and learn from the coaches and the other players and hopefully make it to a Division I school and then go pro.”
Baseball and Softball
Related Photos
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Seated, from left, are Brad Walls, Cooper Walls and Carrie Walls. Standing, from left, are Brent Burton, Cleburne Head Baseball Coach Ross Taylor, Navarro Junior College Head Coach Whoa Deal and Wayland White. Zack Cunningham/Times-Review
Discussion
Senior Cooper Walls signs with Navarro JC for baseball
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Baseball/Softball playoff update
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