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Features
About Coach Baker...- Baker is in his 13th season as head coach at Worcester Stata College. His career record is 269-168: the most wins & highest winning % .616 in Worcester State history. In 2004 he won his 200th game. Eight of the past ten seasons, Worcester State won 25, 27, 27, 33, 29, 24, 25, 23 games & qualified for the postseason. The 33 wins in 2002 are the school’s best ever and Worcester State led the MASCAC in wins 2002-2004. Four times under Coach Baker, Worcester State has broken the school record for wins. Worcester State made the NCAA tournament in 2002 and 2005 as the MASCAC regular season and postseason champion. The Lancers have also been in the ECAC New England playoffs each year from 1998-2001 (2 Finals). From 1998-05 Worcester State qualified for the, reaching the finals twice. Under Coach Baker, the team has won 5 ECAC playoff games, 10 MASCAC Tournament games and is the first to lead Worcester State to an NCAA baseball win in 2005. He has coached in a total of 31 postseason games. In 2002 Worcester State ranked 30th USA (#26 in April that year) and 4th New England. From 1999 through 2001, Worcester State was #8 in New England. In 2003, Worcester State ranked as high as #16 USA & #2 New England (also votes for Top 30 preseason poll). They finished ranked in New England each year 1999-05. Baker has won more than a dozen games over Top 30 opponents.
- Worcester State players have led the NCAA (Akana’s .514 average 1996, Swedberg’s 1.068 slug % 2000, Heenan’s 23 2Bs 2001 & Cosby 0.96 ERA 2003) and placed numerous times among the NCAA leaders. Swedberg ’02 was a 3-time All-American and 3-time MASCAC Player of the Year, and played in the Cape League. Swedberg (2001-hit) and Cosby (2003-pitch) were MASCAC Triple Crown winners. In his 12+ year coaching career Baker has coached 19 MASCAC, 3 Ivy League, 7 New England 1st team All-Stars + 7 Conference Players of Year (MASCAC & Ivy).
- Baker is 44th in Winning % Among All Active USA Div. 3 Coaches.
- Worcester State led the MASCAC in team batting average 5 straight years from 1998-02. They led in team ERA (4.57) in 2004. The Lancers hit .335 in 1996, .348 in 1997, .380 in 1998, .373 in 1999, .341 in 2000, .363 in 2001, .379 in 2002, .348 in 2003 (2nd MASCAC). Every year those averages were among USA best & in 2002 Worcester State was 2nd in USA in team batting. 4 times Worcester State was NCAA Top 10 in team batting. In 2002 Worcester State placed 22 times (of 25 categories) in NCAA Final Stats. Baker has coached two .500 hitters, 16 .400 hitters + 4 MASCAC batting champs. His team best ERA of 3.51 (2nd in MASCAC-29th USA/3rd in MASCAC 2002) came in 2002. Baker has coached in 680+ games to date. In 1993-94, he was an Asst. at Harvard U. under Leigh Hogan & coached 2 Ivy League Players of the Year. In 1993 ambidextrous pitcher Jamie Irving was featured in SI & NY Times. In 1995 Baker was the hitting coach at Boston U.
- He organizes the Worcester State Clinics: Hitting (1996-present), Summer Camp (2003-present), Pitching (1998-present), Holiday Skills (2001-present) & LL Coaches Clinic (2002-present). He coached Auburn Sr. Ruth in 1993 and was a private hitting instructor for 4 years. Baker coached East Side Legion in 1995-96 & W. Boylston (2003-07 + 2001 State Final 4 at Lake Park). 10 of those ’01 WB players won the 2002 Div. 1 State Title for St. John’s H.S. & 3 of Baker’s Legion teams made the post-season. In 2002, Baker coached with the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League. 4 were Cape All-Stars: Trey Webb was the Cape 10th Player Award (Baylor), Dave Castillo (Oral Roberts), Matt Brown (Cal) & Chris Ray (William & Mary). Plus, Dane Bubela (Rice-CWS Champs), Billy Paganetti (Stanford) & JP Howell (Texas) made the 2003 CWS. 24 of his former players were drafted or signed pro contracts: Dave Morgan (Blue Jays), Mike Hill (Rangers-2003 Marlins V.P.-World Champs), Jeff Mitchell (Expos), Mike Giardi (Giants), Jamie Irving; Zach Smithlin (Cards), Ryan Morgan (Braves), Paul Thorp (Yanks), Jeff Alleva, Kyle Frank (Yanks), Ben Rowe (Texas), Ryan Darcy (Can Am Indp), Nick Italiano, Matt Durkin (Mets), Matt Brown (Cubs), Chris Ray (2005 Balt. Orioles), Dave Castillo (A’s), Trey Webb (Expos) & JP Howell (2005 KC Royals); plus Jeff LaHair, Jason Akana, Bear Dunn, Bob Case (Ind. League), Kris Mancini (A’s) + Lance Zawadzki (Expos). Baylor’s Jared Theodorakos (Brewers) pitched for the Greek Olympic Team.
- Baker brings enthusiasm and personality to every practice, game and team function. He stresses fundamentals and hard work. The goal is a team championship. He believes in making a difference in player’s lives off the field as well. Baker wants a potent offense, a pitching staff who throws strikes, a solid defense & aggressive baserunning. He focuses on preparation at practice then letting the players play games.
- As a player Baker was an overachiever known for his work ethic and intensity. Cut as a freshman at Boston University, he worked his way from JVs, the bench, platooning, DH to everyday left fielder. He became a 3-year starter, 2-year captain, Div. 1 New England All-Star (scored winning run in Collegiate All-Star Game at Fenway Park), North Atlantic Conference All-Star, and 2-year NAC All-Academic. In 1990 BU appeared on NESN in the “Baseball Beanpot.” Baker later played LF when the Terriers played at Fenway, and once hit a 2B off the Green Monster. He set BU single-season records for HRs (9), walks (38), and started 130 consecutive games. In 1992 he had last-inning, game-winning hits to beat Maine and Northeastern. He was named the school’s Most Outstanding Senior Baseball Player in 1991. Baker also spent 3 summers playing Stan Musial ball (State Playoffs in 1990) and 1 summer in the Boston Park League for Larkin Club.
- A graduate of Auburn H.S. his senior year team went 22-2 in 1987 and won the school’s 1st CMass. Title. Baker led CMass. & set school records for batting average (.506), RBI (47) and 2Bs (12). He still holds the season RBI record. As a player for Paul Fenton (400+ career wins and 6 CMass titles), Baker was All-Border Conference, T&G Player of Week, and had 4 last-inning, game-winning hits. He won the Jacques Award given for sportsmanship, loyalty, and teamwork plus the 1st ever Bill Peters Umpires Scholarship. Baker considers his youth coaches: John Stearns, Jim Leal, Pete Wilk, and Paul Fenton as his coaching mentors. Baker runs the recruiting, practice organization, game operations, academic monitoring, game scheduling, budget, fund-raising, PR, strength & conditioning, equipment, clinics, fall ball, and Fla-NJ trips. His specialties include hitting, baserunning and OF. Baker is also proud of his player’s academic prowess. Not only have 135 players earned 3.0+ semester GPAs, but they have earned national spotlight: Academic All-Americans (3), Howard C. Smith Award winners (2), Worcester State Top Student-Athletes (3), NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship (1), and NCAA Leadership Conference Attendees (2).
- Baker started the Hall of Fame & Sr. Days, Family-Alumni Day, reunion of the 1965-64 NESCAC Champs, and ceremony to retire 3 uniform numbers. He started the RINGOR Fall Classic, Homecoming Baseball Tent & Fall Alumni Game. In 1998 the FLAGSHIP FALL CLASSIC was played with So. Maine (1997 NCAA Champs). That year Worcester State played the 3 prior National Champs. Baker fund-raised to visit the Hall of Fame in 1997. The “Spring Alumni Day” was started in 2003 + Alumni Baseball Tent at 2004 Homecoming. 1999-present Baker organized the Alumni Golf Tournament. The team fund-raised to play in NJ (1999-2000 and 2005-06) to play nationally ranked Rowan (#1 USA), William Paterson, Rutgers-Newark & Kean.
- The team also has 2 indoor batting cages. A cage was also donated by Baker at Tivnan Field. In 2004, Worcester State started practicing at the impressive indoor dome of the Auburn Sports Plex. Baker writes the full-color media guides (1996-present). Each year 1,000+ programs are sent out. He also does the team playbook, newsletter, and Sr. photos and scrapbook for all graduating Srs. Baker raises funds to purchase spikes, turfs, sweats, shorts, travel bags, wool hats, indoor mounds, wooden bats, and new uniforms. Worcester State sports TEAM RINGOR gear. In 2004-05 baseball more than doubled the next closest sports team in fund-raising ($20,000+).
- Baker’s #1 priority is recruiting. He recruits year-round and attends over 70 high school/Legion games. He also hosts Seniors & their families at the Nov. Recruiting Day. He’s a member of the American Baseball Coaches (ABCA), New England College Baseball Coaches, Mass. H.S. Coaches, and the National Intramural-Rec. Sports. Baker has also attended many prominent events over the years: 1992 Olympics USA-Japan, Game 5 of 2001 World Series, 2000-02 Sr. Ruth World Series, 2002 MLB Winter Meetings, 2003 MLB All-Star Game, 2004-present ABCA National Convention, 2003-present Mass. HS Coaches Convention, plus the H.S. State Finals, Legion State Tour.-Northeast Regionals, Sr. Ruth Regionals, Top 96, Perfect Game Showcases.
- He published 2 books: Baseball Drills for Young People: 150 Games & Activities McFarland, Inc. 2002, and Teaching Hitting (2005). He self-published A Baseball Town--15 Years of Championships in Auburn, Mass. (1995). His photo is on the cover of The Last Best League (2004) – a book about the Cape League. Published articles have appeared in Yankee Magazine (Bratt’s Bat), 4 times in Collegiate Baseball Magazine (hitting, fund-raising, recruiting + camps) + ABCA Coaching Digest (increase D-3 playing time). An adjunct professor he teaches “Principles of Coaching,” “Sports Adm.” & “Study Skills” for freshmen athletes. A full-time employee, he runs the intramurals, weight room and facility scheduling. In 2001 he made Nick Manzello’s Galaxy of Stars.
- Baker is #1 in All-Time Wins (Season/Career) & Winning % in Worcester State Baseball History.
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