HIRAM, Ohio – May 15, 2025 – A record-setting season for a pair of Hiram Baseball student-athletes earned significant recognition on Thursday afternoon, as the NCAC named both Hal Walker Jr. and Tyler Fernandez as All-NCAC Third Team selections.

It marks the second straight all-conference award for Walker Jr., while Fernandez is officially an All-NCAC performer for the first time in his collegiate career. Collectively, the duo recorded 120 hits, 80 total bases and 80 RBI atop the batting order for one of the highest-performing offenses in the NCAC.

Walker Jr. set the career hits (199) and single-season hits (64) records over the final month of the season, forever etching his place in the Hiram record books. The senior from Mentor, OH finished the season slashing .413/.511/.516 (1.027 OPS) with 11 doubles, one triple and one home run over 39 games, all while playing strong defense at first base.

Walker Jr. notably became just the ninth player in program history to log a .400 batting average in a single season; Curtis Caithaml (.402 in 2018) and Jaren Bell (.410 in 2015) are the only other Hiram players to reach that mark over the last 20 seasons. Walker Jr. intends to pursue a professional career following his graduation from Hiram College this Saturday.

Fernandez posted one of the best seasons in program history in terms of the power numbers, as he accounted for nine of the team's 19 home runs in 2025. Those nine long balls mark the third-most in a single season in program history, trailing only Joe Marzano (11 HR in 2003) and Joe Lisko (10 HR in 2000).

The Aurora, OH native and transfer from Saint Vincent College also became the first Hiram student-athlete to hit for the cycle, doing so in a road game against Thiel on March 27. His 8-RBI game against Oberlin on April 16 also marked a single-game program record for RBI.

While Walker Jr. and 16 other seniors/graduate students will take the next step in their professional careers, Fernandez and the rest of the Terriers roster will return to the diamond in 2026, with big expectations in mind. The team will also be competing in the Presidents' Athletic Conference for the first time since 1989.