masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgTriple-A Norfolk first baseman Christian Walker has been rewarded for his recent surge at the plate.
Not with a promotion to the majors. He has to wait for a return trip. However, Walker was named the International League’s Batter of the Week.
Walker hit .414, going 12-for-29, and led the league with three home runs, 10 RBIs and seven extra-base hits. He also collected four doubles and scored nine runs.
He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, batting .372 (16-for-43) with five doubles,…

Triple-A Norfolk first baseman Christian Walker has been rewarded for his recent surge at the plate.

Not with a promotion to the majors. He has to wait for a return trip. However, Walker was named the International League’s Batter of the Week.

walker-at-bat-white-sidebar.jpgWalker hit .414, going 12-for-29, and led the league with three home runs, 10 RBIs and seven extra-base hits. He also collected four doubles and scored nine runs.

He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, batting .372 (16-for-43) with five doubles, five home runs and 15 RBIs. Since the All-Star break, he ranks first in the league in total bases (36) and extra-base hits (10), and is tied for first in doubles (five). He’s second in home runs (five) and RBIs (15).

Walker’s 26 doubles this season rank third in the league. He’s batting .267/.321/.416 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs in 95 games.

The Tides also are surging, having won six of their last seven games despite the constant roster shuffling. They have a season-high three-game lead in the South Division.

The Orioles selected Walker, 24, in the fourth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Carolina. He was recalled on July 8 after the Orioles optioned pitcher Kevin Gausman and went 1-for-2 with a walk. The Orioles returned him to Norfolk after the game.

Walker appeared in six games in 2014, going 3-for-18 with a double, a home run and nine strikeouts.

Baseball America ranked Walker as the Orioles’ No. 3 prospect before the 2015 season. He was named the organization’s minor league Player of the Year last summer after leading the system in home runs (26) and RBIs (96).

The Orioles wanted Walker to concentrate on improving his defense at first base to make him a more viable option if they need a replacement next season. Chris Davis and Steve Pearce are pending free agents.

The International League also named former Orioles left-hander Randy Wolf as its Pitcher of the Week. Wolf, 38, tossed 13 2/3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Buffalo.

Update: Double-A Bowie infielder Corban Joseph, the brother of Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph, has been named the Eastern League’s Player of the Week after batting .417 with a double, triple, five home runs, eight RBIs and eight runs scored.

Corban had four hits yesterday, including two home runs.