Those thumbs were constantly pointing up as he returned to the Illinois State dugout. ISU coach Steve Holm interpreted those gestures as signs of prosperity, and Walker proved him right.
"I made sure I initiated the conversation after every inning with a little thumbs up, letting him know I was good," Walker said.
The Redbird junior left-hander was much better than merely good, shutting down national power Louisville with a six-hit complete game as ISU stunned the No. 7 national seed with a 4-2 victory before a largely disappointed Louisville Regional crowd of 2,843.
"Thumbs ups are pretty good," said Holm.