Tom Walraven spent the 2019 season as a volunteer assistant for the Charger baseball program. A five-year member of the Chargers from 2014-2018, Walraven signed professionally with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball prior to the 2019 season.
As a rookie in 2019, Walraven posted a .300/.409/.438 slash line, and tied for second on the squad with six home runs. He also totaled 35 walks and 31 RBI in 62 games.
With the Chargers, Walraven earned the prestigious ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2018, becoming the first national Gold Glove recipient in program history from New Haven since the award's conception in 2007. In addition to his Gold Glove award, Walraven was named to the NE10 All-Conference Team for the third time and was selected as a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-Region honorable mention shortstop.
As a grad student in 2018, Walraven started in all 51 games at shortstop, tallying career-highs in nearly every offensive category. He batted a team-high .355 and led the Chargers in hits (66), doubles (18), and runs scored (45). He knocked in a total of 28 runs, and slammed four home runs which was tied for the second-most on the team. Finally, Walraven collected his 200th career hit in the NCAA Division II East Region Championship against Southern New Hampshire, before finishing out the season with 205 hits, which was seventh all-time in the New Haven record books at the time.
The Pine Bush, N.Y. native ranks tied for eighth in program history by appearing in 163 games and his 634 at bats, 38 doubles, 93 walks and 17 sac bunts all rank in the top-10 in program history. He finished his career with a .323 batting average and a .414 on-base percentage.
