Walker Craig signs his letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Dyersburg State. (Post Photos by Chris Siers)
Craig was the Champion ace during his senior year and sported a 1.85 ERA on the bump. (Post Photo by Chris Siers)
By CHRIS SIERS
csiers@bedfordcountypost.com
Cascade ace Walker Craig has always had dreams of playing college baseball.
Those dreams are becoming a reality as he recently signed his letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Dyersburg State.
During his years at Cascade, Craig made a name for himself, both on the mound, at the plate and in the field.
As the stars aligned, his role at the collegiate level will allow him to continue being a two-way player, both pitching and manning first base.
“They did talk to me about playing first base. They have an open position there and I’d be going as a two-way role. So hopefully, I’d play first and pitch at the same time,” he said.
When it came to looking for a school to play at, the school’s location, as well as the coaching staff, were the two biggest factors for Craig’s decision.
“They came to me about two and a half to three months ago as I was being recruited by four or five other junior colleges, not just from Tennessee, but from around Mississippi, Texas and a little farther north,” he said.
“I was like that’s a great location because I’m a big duck hunter and I love the location of where they’re at right beside of Mississippi and Arkansas. I kept talking to them, I really liked the coaches and organization. I think we can really build something next year by me going there.”
Once he made his official visit, Craig knew where he was headed.
“I went and visited about a month ago. They’re the only school in Tennessee that has a turf field. I really liked that a lot,” he said.
During his years with the Champs, Craig was a cornerstone of Cascade’s success, both on the mound at the plate.
This season, he batted a stellar .394 average with four home runs, four doubles and a team-best 26 RBIs.
He also had a team-best 1.85 ERA with a 4-0 record and 49 strikeouts.
That ability to get it done from a pitching and batting perspective caught the attention of the Dyersburg State coaching staff.
“I really loved the coaches. The coaches are really nice. They’re really demanding. The head coach is like coach (Travis) Sheffield. He’s really hard. That’s what I really liked,” he said.
Craig was a key component of the Champion squad that won a district and region title.
During that run were among Craig’s favorite memories in a Champion uniform.
“Definitely last year during our tournament run. We had a great district run and a region run,” he said.
Once at Dyersburg State, Craig plans to pursue a business degree before transferring to a four-year school.
“I’m going to do business management at Dyersburg State and then I’m going to follow up with a four-year school where I’ll go into construction management,” he added.
The dream realized caps a vision he’s had since he’s been five-years old.
Dyersburg State competes in the JCAA Division I level and is part of the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association.
