One of Donald Walter’s goals entering the summer season was to work on his power stroke.

He’s achieved that goal — as he leads the Watertown Wizards in both home runs and extra-base hits — but he’s displayed his all-around game as well.

“I’m loving it,” Walter said. “I can’t complain about anything. I’m here getting my work in individually and we have a great group of guys out here on the team. There’s always guys at the gym, it’s real easy to just work on stuff you want to get better at when you’ve got a good group of guy surrounding you who can help out as well.”

Coming off his junior season at Cal Poly Pomona, Walter has shown plenty of versatility and leads the team in runs scored — including a historic effort on the base paths.

Walter got on base five times in a 20-6 rout of Oneonta on July 2 and scored five runs — which is a Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League record.

“That was really fun,” said Walter, who led Watertown in runs scored with 35 heading into Saturday night’s game at Mohawk Valley. “Coach just really wants me in that leadoff spot to get on base for our two, three and four hitters who have been hitting excellent all season. I got lucky, I got on base five times and they pushed me in five times.”

“He’s one of the better hitters I’ve seen in this league,” Watertown manager Nathan Kafka said of Walter, who through 30 games was batting .333 (second only to Cole Gleason’s .351) and leads the team in slugging percentage (.570). “He’s a tough out. He puts together good at bats, he squares the ball up more often than a lot of people do. He’s fun to watch.”

Walter, who hit three home runs in this year’s college season, has erupted for five homers with the Wizards, including four in a span of four games.

“I definitely wanted to increase my strength,” said Walter, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds. “This past season I was more of a contact hitter, I only had three home runs and I wanted to work on my pop to make myself more of a power hitter. I’ve worked on my speed as well, which has definitely improved since I’ve gotten here.”

Walter, who had never batted leadoff in his college career, hit his first home run of the season in his first at bat at the top of the Wizards’ order against Oneonta on June 23 and has been there ever since.

“That was surprising,” he said. “I really like it, knowing that when we’re away, I’m going to be the first batter. And I really like being able to set the tone for the game and be that spark for our team.”

Since then he hasn’t looked back and tops the team in extra base hits (15), including eight doubles and two triples, and has knocked in 16 runs.

“It’s really nice because that’s the main focus I’ve had this summer,” said Walter, who was honored as a co-player of the week for the league’s fourth week. “I’m still hitting for average, which is what my coach (Cal Poly Pomona head coach Randy Betten) wanted me to stick with, but just getting that increased power really excites me looking forward to next season.”

Walter, who has 12 multi-hit games through 30 games, including five three-hit efforts, leads the Wizards in total bases (65) and has been hit by a pitch to reach base 14 times.

“That’s the thing with him, he does whatever the team needs,” Kafka said. “He doesn’t go up and try to hit a home run every time — he gets hit by a lot of pitches, he takes walks — he understands the situation and even bunts, It’s great to have a guy like him who’s willing to do anything to help the team win.”

Besides relishing in the leadoff role, Walter, primarily an outfielder, has also adjusted to playing at designated hitter for most of the season.

“It’s definitely more mental,” said Walter, who is an everyday left fielder in college, “because when you’re playing in the field, you’re engaged in the game all nine innings, you’re playing on defense and you’re really focused on what the pitcher’s doing. When you’re at DH, it takes more mental willpower to stay in the game when everyone is out on defense.”

The Wizards, who return for a three-game homestand beginning Monday versus Cooperstown at 7 p.m. — are battling to remain in contention in the PGCBL playoff race.

“We’re still hanging around as far as a playoff spot,” he said. “We just have to keep working hard and get on a roll here.”

This isn’t Walter’s first trip east to play summer ball as he competed last year in Massachusetts for the Arlington Trojans of the Intercity Baseball League in the Boston area.

“That was an awesome experience as well,” said Walter, who is studying business law in college. “Last summer and this summer I’ve been blessed enough to be doing really well and hopefully I’ll take that confidence into my college season next year.”

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