2018 Baseball Roster
Jake Walters
- Position:
- RHP
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 200
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Maylene, Ala.
- High School:
- Thompson
Career Accolades
- Selected in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft (Miami Marlins)
- Tied for first in career starts at Alabama (52)
- Third in career strikeouts at UA (292)
- Fourth in career innings pitched (295.0)
- Fourth in batters faced for a career (1,292)
- SEC Pitcher of the Week (May 21, 2018)
- 2018 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll
- Earned his undergraduate degree in May of 2018
Senior (2018)
The veteran starter on the Alabama staff ... named SEC Pitcher of the Week for his complete game shutout performance against Ole Miss to end the regular season ... graduated from the University on May 5, prior to his start against Mississippi State ... made 14 starts in his final campaign and finished tied for the team lead in wins at 4-5 overall with one complete game shutout to his name ... led UA with 82 strikeouts compared to only 35 walks ... his 82 strikeouts overall were good for 12th in the conference during the regular season ... went 2-4 in 10 SEC starts but maintained a team-low 2.89 ERA (20 ER/62.1 IP) ... his 2.89 ERA in league play was fifth-best in the SEC ... totaled 64 strikeouts compared to 23 walks and held league hitters to a lowly .229 average ... the 64 strikeouts in SEC action ranked seventh among league arms while his .229 average against was ninth-lowest in the league. Valparaiso (2/16-18): Ran into trouble early and was unable to bounce back by day's end ... allowed five earned runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two ... did not factor into the decision as the Tide came back to win on a walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth. Washington State (2/23): Notched his first win of the season with a two-run, 6.0-inning performance against the Cougars ... gave up two hits and issued a pair of walks while striking out seven ... exited after 91 pitches with the Crimson Tide in front 6-2. Oklahoma (3/3): Took the loss in his outing against the Sooners ... allowed six runs - all earned - on six hits and four walks ... struck out four Sooner hitters ... exited after 87 pitches with the Tide trailing 3-1. New Mexico State (3/9): Earned his second win of the season in game two of the doubleheader against the Aggies ... grinded through a season-high 103 pitches and 5.1 innings of one-run baseball ... gave up four hits and walked a season-high five batters while adding five punchouts ... turned it over to his bullpen with the relievers finishing off the final 3.2 frames in scoreless fashion. Georgia (3/17): Suffered the loss in the starting effort against the Bulldogs ... allowed six run on six hits and three walks while striking out six ... after a four-run first, settled in to retire 13 consecutive batters heading to the fifth ... in that inning, UGA collected three hits and two runs to end his day. Tennessee (3/25): Put together his best start of the year in game one of Sunday's doubleheader ... suffered the hard-luck loss against the Volunteers ... worked 5.2 innings, allowing two unearned runs on only four hits and two walks ... did not allow a hit until the start of the fourth inning ... struck out a then season-high nine batters on the day. Kentucky (3/31): Did not factor into the decision despite a career-long tying 7.1 innings of work ... allowed one run on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven ... turned things over to his bullpen with the Tide trailing 1-0 ... an eight-inning grand slam from Hunter Alexander moved UA in front for the win, securing the series victory over the seventh-ranked Wildcats. Missouri (4/7): Provided a brilliant performance in the game one start of Saturday's doubleheader, but did not factor into the decision ... worked 6.1 scoreless innings of four-hit baseball to keep the Tide even with the Tigers ... struck out a season-high 12, including the first eight hitters he faced, and issued only two walks ... the 12 punchouts fell one short of matching his career-high mark for a single game and were his most in an SEC start for his career. Texas A&M (4/13): Suffered the loss in College Station ... allowed eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits and three walks in 4.1 innings pitched ... struck out five Aggie hitters in the effort. Auburn (4/21): Fell victim to fielding miscues that extended his time on the mound, pinning him with the loss against the Tigers ... worked 6.0 innings, allowing four runs, three of which were earned, on five hits and two walks ... punched out seven AU hitters before exiting after 108 total pitches. Arkansas (4/28): Contributed 4.2 innings of two-run baseball, with only one run earned ... allowed four hits and walked a pair while striking out four Razorback hitters ... threw 97 pitches before leaving with the Tide trailing 2-1 and did not factor into the decision after the early exit. Mississippi State (5/5): Walked at the University's graduation ceremonies earlier in the morning before starting the Saturday night contest ... did not factor into the decision for a second straight start despite another strong outing ... threw 5.1 frames and allowed two runs, only one earned, on six hits and three walks ... added four strikeouts to his totals before exiting at 108 pitches. LSU (5/12): Spun a gem on the Bayou for his third win of the season ... went a career-long 8.0 innings, allowing only one run on four hits and three walks ... aided by a 2018 team-high four double plays behind him ... added three strikeouts across his 102 pitches of work before handing it over to the bullpen with the game in hand. Ole Miss (5/19): Was masterful in his final start as a member of the Crimson Tide, tossing a complete game shutout against the nation's fourth-ranked team ... allowed only four hits and walked two batters while striking out seven across the nine-inning effort ... earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors for his effort against the Rebels, the first league honor of his career at Alabama.
Junior (2017)
Went 5-5 during his junior campaign, making 13 starts and 14 appearances overall ... ranked second on the team and first among starters in strikeouts with 64 and innings pitched at 72.1 ... maintained a 3.98 ERA (32 ER), a total that was the lowest by the Tide's regular starting pitchers ... forced a team-high tying nine double plays, part of the Crimson Tide's league-leading 50 during the regular season ... limited right-handed hitters to a .238 average overall ... went 2-4 with a 4.88 ERA (26 ER/48.0 IP) in SEC play while tallying a team-high 42 strikeouts against conference opposition. Presbyterian (2/18): Earned his first win of the season and helped claim the series victory with his 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball ... allowed three hits and issued one walk while striking out seven ... dominated righties, who finished 0-for-12 against Walters ... exited after 75 pitches to turn it over to the bullpen. ULM (3/4): Collected his second win of the season with 6.0 innings of work ... allowed two runs, both unearned, on six hits while issuing no walks ... tallied four strikeouts across his 87 pitches of work. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3/10): Notched his third win and second in as many starts, working 6.0 innings of one-run baseball ... limited the Golden Lions to five hits and issued one walk while striking out five across a then-season-high 95 pitches. Missouri (3/17): Made the first series-opening start of his career ... suffered the loss despite not allowing an earned run ... tossed 5.0 innings, allowing one hit and two runs (both unearned) across his career-long 125 pitches ... walked a career-high eight batters while striking out eight hitters in the outing. South Carolina (3/24): Grinded through 5.1 innings of two-run baseball to earn his team-leading fourth win of the season ... allowed five hits and issued six walks while striking out four batters across his 108 pitches ... gave up four of his five hits and both of his runs in the first inning without recording an out, but went on to throw 5.1 scoreless frames, giving up just one hit the rest of his night. Auburn (3/28): Worked 1.0 inning of relief, allowing a hit and striking out one batter ... was his first relief outing since April 12, 2014, against Georgia. LSU (4/29): Tossed a career-long 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk with six punchouts ... did not factor into the decision, as LSU evened things up with one run in the top of the seventh ... gave up two runs on a two-run home run in the top of the first before settling in to record 1-2-3 innings in the third, fourth and sixth, and using double plays to get himself out of the second and fifth frames. Auburn (5/6): Earned his fifth win of the season, allowing one earned run on five hits and four walks in game one of the doubleheader ... struck out one batter ... exited with a 3-1 lead as the Tide would go on to eventually win, 4-3. Florida (5/12): Did not factor into the decision despite matching Florida's consensus first-round pick, Alex Faedo, all night ... tossed 7.0 innings of one-run baseball, allowing two hits and issuing two walks while striking out a season-high tying eight batters ... avoided damage almost all evening with his lone mistake coming on a 3-1 pitch that resulted in a solo home run in the seventh ... retired eight straight prior to the solo homer ... Walters and Faedo combined for 16 punchouts and collected 11 total one-pitch outs on the night, with neither factoring into the decision.
Sophomore (2016)
Put together a standout sophomore season, finishing 5-4 with a 2.67 ERA (25 ER/84.1 IP) and a team-high 84 strikeouts compared to only 35 walks allowed ... improved in SEC play, maintaining a league-low 1.93 ERA (13 ER/60.2 IP) with 51 strikeouts compared to 21 walks, while limiting the opposition to two or fewer earned runs in nine of his 10 conference outings ... his 25 earned runs tied for the fourth-fewest allowed by an SEC arm and his 2.67 overall ERA ranked seventh among league pitchers ... allowed three earned runs or fewer following his first start of the season until his last start of the season against Florida in the SEC Tournament ... did not allow a home run in conference play until his final start of the regular season on May 20 against South Carolina. Maryland (2/20): Tossed 3.2 innings and allowed five earned runs ... cruised through the first three innings, retiring nine of the first 11 batters faced before running into trouble in the fourth inning ... allowed two home runs which were the first two homers issued for his career ... fanned six batters and walked three in the outing. North Dakota (2/27): Earned his first win of the season on the power of a career-high 13 strikeouts ... those 13 batters were the most an Alabama pitcher has struck out since Taylor Guilbeau fanned 11 against Texas A&M on March 20, 2015 ... tied a career-high with 7.0 IP. N.C. State (3/5): Did not factor into the win after throwing 6.0 IP and allowing one earned run against the No. 8 Wolfpack ... struck out six batters for the third straight game ... allowed a season-low four hits while throwing 102 pitches. LSU (3/19): Earned his second win of the season, working 5.2 innings and allowing one earned run on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Tennessee (3/26): Worked another solid start, tossing 5.2 innings and allowing two runs (one earned) with a four hits, a walk and five strikeouts. Georgia (4/1): Worked 6.0 innings and allowed one earned run (three total) on seven hits with a walk and seven strikeouts ... was the victim of two errors in the third that resulted in two of his three runs allowed. Kentucky (4/9): Tossed 5.1 innings of one-run baseball, giving up five hits and walking three while striking out five. Ole Miss (4/16): Put together a season-high 7.0 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing four hits and issuing a walk while striking out four batters for his third win of the season. Texas A&M (4/23): Grinded out a scoreless 5.2 innings of work, allowing five hits and a season-high six walks, but showing the poise to get out of big situations for his team-leading fourth win of the year ... allowed runners to reach in three of his five full frames, but stranded eight total by the end of his day. Mississippi State (4/30): Did not factor into the decision in game one, throwing 6.1 innings and striking out six ... allowed two earned runs on seven hits, matching his run total from his previous four starts combined ... finished the month of April with a 1.19 ERA (4 ER/30.1 IP) with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks through five outings. Auburn (5/7): Tossed 5.0 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks with five strikeouts before turning it over to the bullpen ... allowed only one earned run ... the two hits allowed tied his career-low as a starter. Arkansas (5/14): Provided another strong start for the Tide, striking out nine total batters across his 7.0 innings of work to collect his fifth win of the season ... gave up eight hits and issued three walks resulting in two earned runs ... faced a career-high 31 batters in the outing against the Razorbacks.
Freshman (2015)
Began his freshman campaign as a reliever before moving into a starter role, first on Tuesdays and then eventually on Saturdays ... finished the season with a 4-4 record across 15 appearances (10 starts) and maintained a 3.36 ERA (21 ER/56.1 IP) ... was 3-4 with a 3.10 ERA (17 ER/48.2 IP) in 10 starts, notching 54 strikeouts and limiting opposing hitters to a .218 average ... out of the bullpen, went 1-0 with one save and sported a 4.70 ERA (4 ER/7.2 IP). Houston (2/21): Made his first career appearance for the Crimson Tide, tossing 0.2 scoreless IP. Savannah State (2/24): Worked 3.1 IP in game one against the Tigers, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks with five punchouts to earn his first career win. Samford (3/17):Earned the first start and win of his career and win in the starter's role, tossing 5.0 innings and striking out a then-team high nine batters ... recorded five of his first six outs by way of the strikeout ... surrendered just two hits across the start. South Alabama (3/24): Threw 5.0 IP and allowed two unearned runs to suffer the loss, his first of the season ... allowed three hits and three walks while striking out three Jaguars. Samford (4/7): Tossed 5.0 scoreless innings and gave up only one hit while walking one to earn the win ... tied his season high for strikeouts with nine. Georgia (4/12): Went 2.0 scoreless innings to earn his first career save ... gave up a hit and issued one walk while striking out two Bulldogs. Missouri (4/18): Collected the win in his first Southeastern Conference start ... tossed a season-high 7.0 innings of one-run baseball, striking out five ... did not allow a run despite giving up seven hits and walking one batter across 107 pitches. Ole Miss (4/25): Suffered the loss, his first since March 23 ... worked 7.0 innings of one-run baseball, striking out six in the process ... scattered six hits and retired nine straight at one point in the night ... allowed a career-high four walks across his 103 total pitches ... was outdueled by the Ole Miss pitcher who allowed just one run on the night. Auburn (5/9): Did not factor into the decision against the Tigers ... allowed three unearned runs to continue his stealer play in SEC action, not allowing more than one run in three of his first four conference starts ... recorded six strikeouts to extend his streak of five or more punchouts in his first four conference outings ... kept the Crimson Tide in striking distance before exiting the game ... Alabama would go on to score six runs after his exit and claim the 7-6 win and series victory. Texas A&M (5/20): Made the first postseason start of his career, but did not factor into the decision in the SEC Tournament ... put together 5.1 innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four ... exited the game with the game knotted at 3-3 ... the Aggies would add one in the bottom of the eighth off the Crimson Tide bullpen to claim the 4-3 win.
High School and Personal Data
Ranked as the 14th overall player and the fifth-rated right-handed pitcher in the state of Alabama ... named 2014 Southeast Region Honorable Mention following his senior campaign ... selected as a 2013 Honorable Mention Preseason All-American by Perfect Game USA ... helped Thompson High School go 38-10 and hold down the state's top-ranking for almost three-fourths of the season ... went 10-0 with a save while maintaining a 0.78 ERA in 2013, allowing only seven runs on 35 hits and 28 walks with 96 strikeouts ... earned 2013 All-State, All-Metro and All-County honors and was a finalist for the Alabama Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year ... finished his 2013 season earning a spot in the Alabama High School Athletic Association North-South All-Star Game ... threw a no-hitter in an area game during the 2013 season ... also claimed 2012 Underclass Honorable Mention Honors from PG USA ... son of Kent and Beth Walters ... has one brother, Garrett ... father played baseball at Mississippi State ... brother played baseball at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and is currently a manager on the Alabama baseball team ... born Jacob Quinton Walters on March 11, 1996 ... majoring in human performance exercise science.
