Jimmy Walker Hired as Pirates' Head Baseball Coach

The Ventura College Athletic Department is pleased to announce that Jimmy Walker has been named head baseball coach. Walker, who served as the Pirates' pitching coach for the past two seasons, replaces longtime head coach Don Adams who retired in May after 37 years in the VC baseball program, 23 as the head coach.

Walker brings a litany of experience to the Ventura College bench. Most recently, he coached the Pirates' pitchers and catchers for two seasons, highlighted by two pitchers being selected in last week's Major League Baseball Draft, and 12 pitchers transferring to four-year schools in the past two seasons, 10 with athletic scholarships. This past season, Pirate pitchers as a group had the third best earned run average in the Western State Conference, 3.58, and recorded 8.66 strikeouts per game, best in the conference.

Walker has also worked with the Ventura Halos, formerly the Santa Paula Halos, summer baseball program since 2011. He managed the Halo's team in the California Collegiate League for four summers, coaching the CCL North Team in the nationally televised CCL All-Star game in 2013. He has also coached the Halos' 17U College Development Program team, aiding in the placement of over 100 players at two-year and four-year colleges. Walker has had 20 former Halos players drafted or who have signed professional contracts.

Before coming to VC, Coach Walker spent the five years at Santa Clara High School in Oxnard. He served as the Head Varsity Baseball coach from 2010-2015 and Athletic Director form 2011-2015. In his five seasons as Head Baseball Coach, Walker led the Saints to their first league title in 22 years (2014) and two CIF Southern Section playoff appearances in 2012 and 2014. The 2012 playoff appearance was the first for the Saints in 20 years. He also coached two All-CIF Southern Section baseball players. Walker was voted Frontier League Coach of the Year in 2012.

Walker played college baseball at Monterey Peninsula College (1998-1999) and the University of California, Santa Barbara (2000-2001). He also played three years of professional baseball for the San Angelo Colts (Texas-Louisiana League, 2001), Duluth-Superior Dukes and the Kansas City T-Bones (Northern League, 2002-2003).

Walker's coaching career began in 2003 at Monterey Peninsula College. He served as the teams pitching coach and helped them to a then school record for wins in a season at 29. He also spent two seasons as pitching coach at Monterey High School, leading the Toreadores to a third place finish in the Central Coast Section in 2004 and the section title in 2005.

Walker was the Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Cal State Monterey Bay, a NCAA Division II school, from 2005 to 2010, Walker recruited two All-West Region players, four All-Conference players, helped three players sign professional contracts, and coached 29 All Conference All Academic players. His on field duties included coaching the pitchers and catchers, running the teams' offense, and being the Director of Camps and Clinics.

Walker also works at the Ventura College as Associate Athletic Director of External Affairs where he is in charge of facility management, facilities rentals, game management and social media.