Former Newsome High School starting pitcher Wade Walton has continued to earn recognition for his senior season, months after his final game with the Wolves.
Walton was named Pitcher of the Year for Class 6A-7A in the state and was named to two American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) teams.
“It’s just a huge honor,” Walton said. “Not even just for me but for all my coaches that helped me through it and my family as well.”
Walton was named to a 2024 ABCA/Rawlings High School All-Region team in June after being recognized by coaches across the country. The next day, he was named to the ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America third team.
Walton was one of just two high school pitchers from Florida selected to the All-America third team over the summer.
“A lot of work went into it all,” Walton said.
The teams are decided by a group of eight coaches, only one of whom is from Florida.
One of Walton’s mentors was travel baseball coach Jim Osting from Ostingers Baseball Academy, who Walton has worked with since he was 8 years old.
“He’s been a huge mentor throughout my life, not just baseball-wise but just a great life mentor,” Walton said.
Ostingers Baseball Academy offers “world-class baseball instruction” from a former major leaguer in Lithia.
Walton credited Osting for his success in high school, which led him to a spot on High Point University’s team this year.
He graduated from Newsome in the spring, finishing his senior season with a 10-1 record, 116 strikeouts and a 0.62 ERA. Walton also led the county in wins and tossed two complete game shut outs in his final season, earning him the Pitcher of the Year title from 813Preps.
Walton still reaches out to Osting, he said, sending videos of his mechanics and updates on his first year in college.
“It’s truly a grind,” he said about playing college baseball. “I absolutely love it, but it’s a grind.”
For more information on the ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America teams or to learn more about the association, visit https://abca.org/. To learn more about Ostingers Baseball Academy, visit www.ostingbaseball.com.
