Baseball coaches despise walks because they help opponents score easy runs.
Coaches want to see hitters earn their way on base rather than be handed a free pass to first base by pitchers.
Tallahassee State College coach Bryan Henry knows the feeling.
The Eagles issued 17 walks and plunked two batters in their 18-17 home victory over Pensacola State College Tuesday in Panhandle Conference play.
“It’s extremely frustrating because we know what they (TSC pitchers) are capable of,” said Henry, a former All-American pitcher at Florida State and in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
“To me, it’s a lack of concentration. They are more worried about the fear of what happens when they (batters) hit it than actually challenging them and living with the results.”
Four NCAA teams have drawn 25 walks in a game
The good news was TSC could live with the walk-fest victory.
In NCAA history, four teams have drawn 25 walks in a game – Division I Miami (Florida) in 1992; Mercer in 1985; William & Mary in 2000 and Division III Muhlenberg (Allentown, Pennsylvania) in 2024.
Professional baseball isn’t immune to walks either.
A week ago, the Jupiter Hammerheads, the Class A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, had trouble finding the plate.
Their pitchers issued a minor-league record 22 walks in their 19-7 loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays. It was the most walks issued in a Florida State League game and the most in full-season Minor League Baseball game in MLP stat portal history.
Jupiter’s team broadcaster was so frustrated at one point in the game he quipped, “Let me loosen up my shoulder, I’ll go help things out.”
It has been a long junior-college season for Henry’s Eagles, who are 17-23 overall and 4-13 in conference heading into Thursday’s home game against PSC at 5 p.m. They have seven regular-season games remaining.
Henry’s pitching staff has dealt with injuries and lacked consistency, issuing 218 walks with 305 strikeouts in 301 innings.
In Tuesday’s back-and-forth nine-inning game, TSC used eight pitchers.
The group walked the lead-off batter in four of nine innings.
Here’s another twist:
With two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth, TSC walked four and hit a pair as PSC went in front 14-13 without the benefit of a hit.
The Eagles’ lack of control made for a long, frustrating game at times — 17 walks and two hit batters is the equivalent of six-plus extra innings played.
Still, TSC rallied for five runs in the eighth and closer Emery Dawkins ended the game with a strikeout with bases loaded.
The win made Henry’s drive home easier.
“At the end of the day it’s all about getting the win,” said Henry, known for his pitching command – he pitched 322.1 innings and struck out 273 with only 75 walks at FSU – and a 2025 FSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
“The guys played together and never gave up and ended up pulling it out. I am extremely proud of the effort.”