Perkins' Talon Walton excels in all phases

PERKINS TWP. — Talon Walton's progression from skinny freshman to a five-tool senior star is a big reason why Perkins will be playing for a state baseball championship this weekend. Walton is a weapon at the plate, in the field and on the pitching mound for the third-ranked Pirates. He remembers how it felt to win in the state semifinals last year, and wants to experience that high two more times. "The most memorable game was the final four last year at night when it started raining (at the end of a 4-3 win against Indian Hill)," Walton said. "We all started celebrating on the field. We were at Thurman Munson (Memorial Stadium) so everything was echoing down and it was really loud. That was really cool." The Pirates lost a one-run decision two days later in the championship game, but they have made it back to the final four this year. Perkins plays Youngstown Cardinal Mooney at 10 a.m. Saturday in Akron in a Division IV semifinal. Walton is part of a senior class that has plenty of experience on the biggest stages in football, basketball and baseball. "We have a lot of guys who played football, basketball, so when they come and play baseball they've already dealt with those pressure situations," Walton said. "The football team was in the state championship game (2024) and that's all the pressure you can get. Same with basketball; they've already dealt with that. "I think dealing with pressure is the biggest part of baseball, because all you can do is control your breath and hit the ball and not think as much." Perkins head coach TJ Blanton has used Walton at multiple positions the past four years. This year, Walton has excelled as a middle infielder and pitcher and was named Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division and district player of the year. "This year we didn't have to do a lot of coaching with him," Blanton said. "It was more of 'open your glove here, footwork there.' Kind of go back to the basics and fine-tune things. "He's a five-tool guy and has it all; you can put him in any position. He definitely has a future ahead of him. I wouldn't be surprised to see something big coming for him soon. I think he'll have four or five more years of baseball." Walton, who plans to play college baseball, leads the Pirates with a .388 batting average and has 12 extra-base hits — including three home runs. He also leads the team in runs scored (38) and runs batted in (33). The 5-foot-11, 189-pound athlete has built himself into a player with home run power. Perkins has a strong weight program, which has helped. Brayden Martin at Elite Fitness also played a role in Walton's development. "This year I took a big step; I was hitting the weight room every day during the week in the offseason," Walton said. "Obviously I'm not the tallest or biggest genetically, the only thing I could control is being strong. It's helped me hit the ball and throw the ball a little harder, which is really important, especially going to the next level." Walton started on the Perkins varsity team as a freshman catcher. The Pirates had an opening at the premium position and Walton got reps behind the plate the previous summer to get ready. "We saw the spot was opening up so I figured I might as well try it out," he said. "I used to play every position back in 12U, 13U, 14U. I'd catch, play shortstop. I ended up doing it and was pretty good at it. "I moved on and played shortstop and then outfield. I played all those spots back in the day, and then in high school I played all those spots when my team needed me." Walton struggled his sophomore season due to back issues, but bounced back to bat .333 with 11 extra-base hits as a junior. He hit his first high school homer last year. "One of my mine, I was like, 'All right, that's gotta be gone,' " he said. "To finally get one was really rewarding. I've hit so many balls in the gaps and to the wall, but they never go over." Walton began his baseball journey playing in the VFW league in Perkins Township. He used to tag along with older brother Tyler — a standout catcher at Perkins who graduated in 2021 — and played with older kids. His dad, Christian, was one of the coaches when Talon started at the youth level. "He was everyone's little brother," Christian said. "He was a kid who took it upon himself just to have fun. He would run the bases and get to hit and a lot of it was how well Tyler treated Talon. As a dad, it's been fantastic because he always works hard. He wanted to be better than Tyler and Tyler wanted him to be better." Early last season, Talon was in a hitting slump and leaned on family to help get him going again. "It was probably 35 degrees and we went to the outdoor batting cage at the high school," Christian said. "He got in a good rhythm and I asked Tyler if he could pitch live to him that Sunday. Ever since then he's found his swing and has been crushing the baseball." Talon's hard work and high baseball IQ were apparent at an early age. "I remember the very first play he made in VFW baseball," Christian said. "The other team had runners on first and second and Weston Sturzinger (standout multi-sport Perkins graduate) hit one to Talon at shortstop. He moved to his right and got the forceout at third. You don't teach that." Added Blanton: "He's a physical specimen. I saw a picture of him freshman year to now and it's a huge transition. He hits for power and hits for contact. He has speed. He's just a baseball kid. He grew up in that environment (his mom, Edie, helped out in the press box this season). He got to watch his older brother play and Tyler was a great baseball player. Talon was kind of bred into that." Talon excelled in baseball and also was a standout soccer player. He was a three-time first team All-SBC defender for a strong Perkins team, but baseball is at the top of his list. "I like soccer, been playing it my whole life, but I just can't do that running," Walton said. "I hate running." Going 90 feet is no problem, though. Walton has 17 stolen bases this season. On the mound, he's 7-1 with a 0.83 earned run average. He's in position to break the Pirates' single-season ERA record, which currently is held by Talon's cousin Luke, who plays for the University of Toledo. "I like pitching, but only when I'm doing good," Walton said. "I also like playing the field because I like to show off my moves. You get to do a little more in the field and get a little flashy. I think that's fun." About the only thing Walton hasn't done on a high school baseball diamond is play first base. "That's my dream position, but they always say no to me," he said. "Back in the VFW days, I played first base so I got to live it then." Walton wants to study business in college with an eye toward becoming a pilot. He recently graduated with a 4.35 grade point average, slightly eclipsing the 4-plus GPA of older sister Ava. Walton is part of a seven-man senior class at Perkins that enjoys hanging out on and off the field. "He is the best player I've ever played with," senior Quentin Binette said. "I played in the summer one time and we both hit home runs in the same game. He's probably at my house four days a week when we're going golfing or something. He's a good dude on and off the field." Walton is looking forward to playing more golf and soaking up his last summer before heading off to college. But first, there's more baseball to play. "I've been playing with this group of guys my whole life," Walton said. "We wanted to have a great senior year. So far it's been really good, especially against the tough competition we've been playing. We've made a great run. Hopefully we can get to the state finals again and get some redemption."