John Walker speaks highly of the youth baseball program in the city of New Albany.

Because of that program, Walker says, New Albany High School has been able to build a successful, tradition-rich program of its own.

Walker, 29, will now get the chance to lead the high school’s program as he was officially named the new head coach of the Bulldogs this week. Walker said the prep program will continue to progress because of the town’s youth program.

“It’s a very tradition-rich program,” said Walker, a former assistant coach at Water Valley. “They’ve been good as long as I can remember.

“The program’s been fed pretty much by the youth program there in town. That’s a definite positive there in town.

“From that aspect, I feel that the program will continue to get better.”

Walker spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant under Delta State baseball coach Mike Kinnison. Before that, he served as an assistant coach at Water Valley for five seasons.

“We had a lot of good candidates,” said New Albany assistant principal John Ferrell, “and he stood out among them.

“He’ll come in and carry on the tradition like Curt Fowler has had and done with us.”

Fowler recently became the head baseball coach at Blue Mountain College, which will begin play in 2011 for the first time. He spent nine seasons as the Bulldogs’ coach.

As an assistant coach in the summer collegiate Cotton States Baseball League, he had the opportunity to meet Walker, who also happens to be coaching in the league.

“His baseball knowledge is top rate,” Fowler said. “He comes across as somebody who can communicate with the kids on a good level.”