Pitcher Charlie Walker became the newest Northeastern Husky to turn professional Tuesday, signing a contract with the San Diego Padres organization after going undrafted in the 2025 MLB Draft.
After becoming a regular in his junior campaign, the right-hander leaves Northeastern with a cumulative 2.24 career ERA – the seventh-best in Northeastern program history – across 43 games and 80 ⅓ innings, playing an integral role in a Northeastern pitching staff that topped the NCAA in a handful of pitching categories in 2025.
The Milton, Massachusetts, native’s time at Northeastern spanned three seasons, the first of which featured a 0.90 ERA across 10 innings pitched in relief before an injury shut down the rest of his inaugural campaign.
Eager to return strong, Walker’s sophomore season saw him fill a bullpen spot once again, where his ability to hold opposing hitters to a .244 average against him resulted in a 4-0 record across 20 appearances.
Refueled from his first full season on the hill, the right-hander turned in the best year of his career in 2025. Walker compiled a 1.29 ERA over a career-high 48 ⅔ innings pitched, 18 ⅓ of which he endured without surrendering an earned run to start the season. He averaged over three innings in 16 games, setting a new career high.
For the first time in his career, Walker took up a starting role for the Huskies during his junior season, serving as a fifth arm in the rotation both times Northeastern had a double midweek scheduled. In two appearances opening the game, Walker posted a 3.86 ERA across seven innings.
However, he shined the most out of the bullpen. The Huskies regularly turned to Walker as a Friday reliever in 2025, where he frequently followed up senior starter Will Jones, contributing to his role in five of Northeastern’s NCAA-leading 17 shutouts.
He also returned to the bullpen during his recent summer stint with the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Cotuit Kettleers, appearing in eight games and turning in a 2.08 ERA.
In signing with the Padres organization, Walker joins a pitching staff recently bolstered by nine draft picks and four other undrafted signings.
He is the fourth Husky bound for the West Coast after the San Francisco Giants picked up junior outfielder Cam Maldonado and a pair of graduate student pitchers in Jordan Gottesman and Cooper McGrath in the 2025 MLB Draft. Walker’s signing brings another Husky to the professional scene after a program-best five players heard their names called in the two-day draft, capping off a historic 2025 in Brookline.