CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Chase Walter has signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Padres following the abbreviated 2020 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. This year’s annual draft was shortened to five rounds spread over two days stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Walter, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 32nd round of the 2019 draft, is the third former Catamount to be in the Padres organization. Former WCU pitcher Paul Menhart pitched for the club in 1997, and another former Catamount right-hander, Daniel Ottone, was drafted in the 33rd round of the 2010 draft, spending time as a Padres farmhand.
 
“We’re so very proud of Chase. It’s great to see his hard work with (pitching) coach Taylor Sandefur paying off with this professional baseball opportunity,” said WCU head coach Bobby Moranda. “Chase has the stuff to be an impact Major League pitcher very soon and to advance through the Padres system quickly. His parents, Dana and Brian, raised a fine young man who is more than ready to meet the challenges of a professional career at the highest level.”
 
A product of Peachtree City, Georgia, Walter concluded his two-plus seasons in a Catamount uniform making 40 career appearances including 29 starts, tossing 195 1/3 total innings. He finished with nine career victories and one save. His 212 strikeouts between 2018 and 2020 rank Walter tied for 15th in WCU program history, matching former Major Leaguer Jared Burton.
 
A two-time Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week in 2019, Walter recorded double-digit strikeouts on four occasions as a redshirt sophomore. He struck out 13 in 6 2/3 innings in a win at Mercer before following that performance one week later with a career-best 17 strikeouts in posting the second complete game of his career, both against the Furman Paladins.
 
The transfer from Spartanburg Methodist debuted in Cullowhee in 2018, recording three wins on the mound with 74 strikeouts recording at least one K in each of his 17 appearances. He threw a career-long nine innings in a complete-game victory against Furman and later struck out nine against top-seeded UNCG in the conference tournament. As a redshirt freshman, Walter was named to the SoCon All-Freshman team following the season.
 
In the shortened 2020 season, nearly half of the outs Walter recorded on the mound came as strikeouts – 24 of 50 outs recorded over 16-plus innings.