Franciscan University Barons Athletics

Jim Walker is the fifth head coach in the history of the Franciscan softball program. The 2021 season will be Walker's seventh season at the helm for the Lady Barons.

The Lady Barons were selected number three in the AMCC Preseason Poll, and there was a lot of optimism around the 2020 team. The team posted their most successful spring break trip, as they went 9-3 in Virginia and South Carolina. Upon return they were greeted with their season being canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
  
Walker led the Lady Barons to a historic season in 2019. They posted a record of 24-15, an appearance in the AMCC Championship game and the ECAC Tournament. The Lady Barons posted their first winning record in AMCC play by going 10-8. Offensively the Lady Barons led the AMCC in home runs (18) and walks (114). Franciscan also led the AMCC in stolen bases (122), good for 5th best in the NCAA. Defensively they posted the highest field % in the AMCC (.954) and fewest walks allowed

In 2018 under the guidance of Walker, Franciscan finished the year with 14 wins, the most-ever for a Lady Baron softball team and finished the year .500 for the first time. Franciscan posted an 8-10 conference record. Following the season, the Lady Barons were named the NCAA DIII champion for stolen bases per game (4.46) and Allyson Weiss was the national statistical champion for triples per game (0.25). Franciscan placed two on the all-conference list.
 
In 2017, Walker led the Lady Barons to a 12-20 overall record an 8-10 slate in the conference. Both win totals were records for the program while the Lady Barons. Franciscan set program records in runs (138), hits (238), doubles (29) and triples (9) while posting the third-best team batting average, .271. They earned their first trip to the AMCC tournament. Franciscan placed two on the AMCC All-Conference teams and Walker was named AMCC Coach of the Year.
 
In the last three years, 13 Lady Barons have been selected as NFCA Scholar-Athletes, including three following the 2018 season.
 
Under Walker’s direction, 10 Lady Barons have received all-conference honors. Allyson Weiss and Ashley Kondracki are the lone two time all-conference honorees so far in softball history at Franciscan.
 
In addition to his collegiate coaching responsibilities, Walker is an assistant coach with the Pennsylvania Rebellion in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. Walker also works with USA Preps as an on-field instructor at recruiting camps and is a USA Select Softball on-field trainer and evaluator for Team USA.
 
Along with his coaching duties at Franciscan, Walker serves as the compliance officer and facilities coordinator.

Walker came to Franciscan in the fall of 2014 after serving as the head coach of NCAA Division II Wheeling Jesuit University. Before taking over at Wheeling Jesuit, he was a long-time associate head coach at Carlow University, where he was also the recruiting coordinator for the program.
 
Walker resides in Follansbee, WV and is the father of two daughters, Caitlin and Courtney.

Updated 3/26/20