By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After basketball season ended in March, Blaine Walters had less than three weeks of practice with the Cooper baseball team before the first game. But the late start really didn’t hamper the senior pitcher and outfielder.
Walters hasn’t allowed a run in seven pitching victories for the Jaguars and he’s one of the team’s leading hitters with a .385 batting average (25 of 65) going into the final three weeks of the regular season.
“He’s just trying to get us a winning season for his senior year,” said Cooper coach Brian Bush. “Obviously, the games we really want to win are in May. His top goal is to win district and advance to the region and get as far as we can. He’s totally team oriented. He’s a great kid and a great leader on our team.”
Last season, Cooper won the 33rd District title and then lost in the first round of the 9th Region tournament for the second consecutive year. Walters had a 6-2 record with 43 strikeouts in 28.2 innings and a 3.66 earned run average for that team.
After his seven pitching outings this season, the 6-foot-5 left-hander has 68 strikeouts in 37.1 innings and leads the state with a 0.00 ERA. He’s one of the reasons Cooper has a 19-4 record that’s just two wins shy of the team record for most victories in a season.
“He keeps hitters off balance with his fastball and change-up,” coach Bush said. “And he’s throwing strikes. He worked on that all summer to get better control, and his hard work is paying off.”
Walters played for the Midland Braves select team in Cincinnati last summer. He said working with pitching coach Scott Stocker helped him develop his technique and repertoire of pitches.
“The pitching coach with my summer team really helped me with my change-up,” Walters said. “My curveball has always been decent, but now my change-up and curveball have complemented my fastball really well.”
Walters put baseball on hold from October to March to play basketball for Cooper. He averaged 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds for a team that made it to the 9th Region semifinals and posted a 25-6 record.
During basketball season, Walters accepted an NCAA Division I baseball scholarship from Northern Kentucky University. The Norse recruited him as a pitcher and he’s looking forward to focusing on just that in college.
But he’s swinging the bat so well during his final high school season that he’ll likely be in the Cooper lineup every day whether he’s on the mound or not. He’s gotten at least one hit in each of the last 10 games, going 15-for-31 (.483) with three doubles and one home run.
“When I took over (as head coach) last year, I knew he could hit, but he’s really been capitalizing on his opportunities,” Bush said.
On Saturday, Cooper has a double-header scheduled in Louisville. The Jaguars will play Louisville Trinity (22-4) at 1 p.m. and Lexington Catholic (15-7) a few hours after that game. Walters will put his 7-0 record and spotless ERA on the line against one of those downstate teams, but he doesn’t know which one yet.
“Honestly, I haven’t thought about any of this putting pressure on me,” he said. “I just want to go out there and continue doing what I’ve been doing.”