Inola alum Walker caught between 2 worlds as Baylor faces Duke in NCAA Tournament

STILLWATER — Lillie Walker won’t be courtside or couch-bound when her past and present collide on national television.

The former Duke Blue Devil and current Baylor left-hander will be in the circle, doing what she does best — pitching against one of the best teams in the country.

At the same time No. 1 seed Duke and No. 9 seed Baylor tip off in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament’s Round of 32, Walker will be toeing the rubber for Baylor softball against Oklahoma State in Stillwater. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., just 40 minutes before the Bears and Blue Devils clash on CBS.

“That’s a tough one," Walker said when asked which school she will be cheering for. "I can’t say that I’m too much of a super fan to decide. I guess a close game is what I’m cheering for."

It is a rare overlap of Walker’s two worlds.

The Inola native spent four years at Duke, pitching in three of them and helping the Blue Devils reach their first-ever Women’s College World Series in 2024. She posted a 12-1 record with a 1.98 ERA last season and earned Academic All-District honors while being a part of one of the ACC’s rising softball powers.

Now working on her master’s degree and pitching for Baylor, Walker has become a reliable arm for the Bears with 20 appearances, including six starts, a 3.36 ERA and 43 strikeouts.

She tossed a complete-game shutout Friday against Oklahoma State, holding the Cowgirls — who average over five runs per game — to just five hits in a 1-0 Baylor win.

Between travel, practices and a rigorous spring schedule, Walker hasn’t had much time to lock into March Madness. But she and her Baylor teammates have caught glimpses of the tournament when they can.

Sunday, though, the games won’t just overlap on the schedule. They will intertwine in Walker’s heart.

And while her answer on who she will root for remains neutral, her competitive fire will be fully focused — because no matter who wins in basketball, she will be pitching to win again on the field.

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