Gordon bound

Published 10:42 pm Saturday, March 12, 2011

VALDOSTA — Valdosta High catcher Bo Walthall has signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Gordon College in Barnesville next year.

Walthall looks forward to playing for the Highlanders.

“I’m real excited,” Walthall said. “It’s good to be able to get that out of the way, so I can focus on the season and then know I have somewhere to go and play, and not have to worry about that during my senior year, and just focus on baseball.”

Last year, Walthall helped the Wildcats go 19-12 and make it to the state quarterfinals. He batted .307 with two home runs for Valdosta. Both of those home runs came at important times; the first helped Valdosta beat Colquitt County 5-4 and earn a share of first place in the region, while the second one came in a 12-0 win over Camden County in the second round of the playoffs.

But while he was a .300 hitter last year, Walthall is best known for his defense behind the plate.

“He’s just a good receiver,” Shuman said. “He has soft hands and a great arm. He has a lot of experience. He knows our pitchers real well. He’s a coach on the field for us really.”

Catcher is one of the most challenging positions on the diamond, but Walthall likes playing the position.

“It’s been about all I’ve ever played, ever since I could throw a ball. They put me behind the plate, and I’ve just loved it ever since then,” he said. “(Catcher) comes with its pros and cons. You have to really love it to be able to do it.

“It takes a special person to be able to catch. You’ve got to be able to take hits and kind of control the field and be able to love it and control your pitchers and do a lot of things.”

Walthall is glad he played for the Wildcats.

“The coaching staff is about the best in the state. Coach Shuman is a great coach. He’ll give you your opportunities,” he said. “The guys are great. I like going to the school, and just the tradition (of athletic success here). Being able to wear that Valdosta jersey means a lot. I’ve always been a Wildcat.”

He hopes to close out his Valdosta career with a good senior year.

“We’ve got a bunch of seniors back. Hopefully we’ll be able to put all that together and win some games,” he said.

One of the reasons Walthall chose to go to a junior college was so that he could get on the field quickly. Freshmen usually have a better chance to play at a junior college than they would at a four-year school.

“It’s a two-year school, so I would go in and I would play early,” he said. “(Another               reason) I chose junior college was because I know I’m going to get my at-bats. I’ll be able to get better and let the coaching staff help me with my swing, and also help them out defensively behind the plate.”

Walthall says he felt real comfortable with both Gordon’s baseball team and the school.

“It felt kind of like a family when I went up there. I really liked the coaching staff, and felt like it was a place I could go compete and get some winning done,” he said.

Walthall will be reunited with one of his old Valdosta teammates, Chad Prain. Prain is an infielder for the Highlanders.

“He kind of swayed me a little bit and helped me make a big decision,” Walthall said.

After two years at Gordon, Walthall will be eligible to play two more years of baseball at a four-year college. Gordon has sent a lot of players to four-year schools over the last few years.

Walthall spent part of last summer playing for Round Trip Baseball in Savannah. Round Trip Baseball is an organization that aims to give high school players a high level of summer baseball competition, and tries to help players get more exposure.

Valdosta has made the playoffs each of the past five years, and in each of those years, the Wildcats have had a solid defensive catcher. Brent Turner, who later went to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, was the Wildcats’ catcher in 2006. Galen Smith, who played for Valdosta State last year, caught for Valdosta from 2007-08. Jamie Turner caught for the Wildcats in 2009, then signed with Lake-Sumter Community College, and now Walthall will go to Gordon.