Two seasons ago, a tall left-hander named Adam Walker pitched the home opener for the Piedmont Boll Weevils.

He threw a no-hitter for six innings, led his team to victory and was pegged as a future major leaguer.

And why not. He stood 6-foot-7, had a blazing fastball and was learning his off-speed pitches.

Walker may yet make the Philadelphia Phillies roster but before he does, he’ll have to pitch for Piedmont again.

Walker will pitch his second home opener at FieldcrestCannon Stadium tonight when the Boll Weevils and Charleston (W.Va.) Alley Cats face off at 6:35 p.m.

He’ll be pitching for a hot team. After losing its opener, Piedmont won three straight South Atlantic League games against Asheville, including a 6-0, 14-1 doubleheader on Sunday.

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Pitching for the Boll Weevils was not what Walker was expecting when spring training camp broke in Clearwater, Fla.

“They told me a week ago,” he said. “It was the furthest thing from my mind. I thought I’d be released before coming back here. It’s not where I want to be, obviously, but it gives me a chance to get innings.”

Walker got enough innings in Clearwater last year to post a 9-7 record and an ERA around 4.

“My numbers were pretty good last year but my stuff wasn’t,” he admitted. “I got away with a lot and I think (the Phillies brass) noticed that too.”

Walker is in just his third season of professional baseball, points out Boll Weevil manager Greg Legg.

“Adam has had some successful years but he’s not that much of a veteran. You’re looking at a 3-year player. We want him where he can throw the most innings.

“In the minor leagues, you need 500 innings before you’re ready for the majors. It doesn’t matter where you get those innings.”

Walker says he understands.

“I could’ve gone to Clearwater again but there wouldn’t have been much room with all of the guys who played here last year being there. I could’ve gone to Reading and got lost in the pen.

“Here, we’re guaranteed our innings and a chance to work on our stuff.”

Ken Westmoreland, who was 8-4 at Clearwater, was also brought back down for the same reasons as Walker.

“They still consider us major league prospects and that’s why they’re doing this,” Walker said. But this is the last place I thought I’d be.”

Walker won’t be the only familiar face to area fans. Eric Schreimann and Nate Espy return to give the team some needed power. Espy has already hit a homer and Schreimann was 2-for-3 in the first game Sunday afternoon.

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Sunday in Asheville, the Weevils hammered the Tourists (1-3), outscoring the team from the mountains by a combined 20-1.

Piedmont has bounced back since suffering a lopsided loss on Opening Day.

First-round draft pick Brett Myers was the story in the first game. Myers pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits. He fanned three and didn’t walk a batter.

James Sitzman led the Weevil attack with three hits. Ambiorix Reyes, Eric Schreimann, Juan Richardson, Brian Hitchcox and Alex “Cookie” Rojas banged out two hits each.

Rojas had a two-run single in the Boll Weevils’ five-run sixth inning.

In the second game, the Weevils put together another big inning — a six-run fifth — to win a laugher.

Piedmont had 17 hits with Hitchcox and Jorge Padilla picking up three each. Five more Weevils had two hits each.

Juan Richardson and Sam Hitchcox homered.