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Coach Dianne Baker
 Head
Softball Coach
Dianne Baker
After
nearly a quarter century of coaching within the college ranks,
most people would think that Dianne Baker would be slowing
down. Actually, it is just the opposite. Baker is just as
eager to develop young student-athletes into winners as she
ever was.
The
2004 Lone Star Conference South Co-Coach of the Year has
built Texas Woman's University, and Stephen F. Austin State
beforehand, into two of the most highly regarded softball
programs in their respective divisions.
“I
think I am prouder of the fact that I have sustained in this
profession for so long, 29 years as coach, 24 of those in
the college ranks. I have been able to keep my passion and
drive that I feel is important to have a successful team,” Baker
said. “I don’t think any of my players will tell
you that I have any less passion for the game now than when
I started.”
The
passion is evident as Baker is coming off a 40-15 season
at TWU and her second trip to the NCAA South Central Regional
Tournament in three years.
Baker
first really made her mark with an incredible 15-year coaching
run at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she also
served as the university's assistant athletics director from
1982-95. She led the Ladyjacks to an NCAA Division II national
championship in 1986, the first and only national team title
in the school’s 79-year history. She has an eight-year
TWU record of 264-140-2 (.653) and an overall career record
of 764-437-3 (.636) in 24 years, establishing her among the
winningest active coaches in NCAA record books. Baker captured
her 700th career win on March 2, 2003, against Oklahoma Panhandle
State.
Baker’s
coaching honors also include being named the 1999 and 2002
LSC South Coach of the Year, 1986 NCAA Div. II National Coach
of the Year, 1985 and 1986 Regional Coach of the Year, and
the 1984 Gulf Coast Conference (GCC) Coach of the Year. Baker's
teams have won the 1986 GCC title, 1990 Southland Conference
title and the 2002 LSC South Division title. Baker was inducted
into the SFA Ladyjacks Hall of Honor in 1987. She has coached
26 All-Americans and one Olympian, Sandy Green, a left fielder
on the 1996 Canadian Olympic Team.
 Baker
uses her notoriety to promote Texas Woman’s University
and the game of softball. She has dedicated herself to the
growth of the sport and the growth of Pioneers Softball.
In everything that she approaches, whether it be to correct
a batter’s swing or give a speech, Baker does it with
all that she has and the best of her ability. One of the
nation's leading softball instructors, Baker has penned three
books, had numerous articles published, and is the featured
instructor in 18 softball videos. She is also the softball
promotion director for Schutt Sports.
The
Jersey City, N.J., native is a 1975 graduate of TWU, where
she lettered in five sports. As a four-year shortstop, Baker
played on one of the first collegiate teams to represent
Texas in the national playoffs. After earning a bachelor's
degree in physical education and health, Baker taught in
the Lewisville (Texas) Independent School District from 1975-78.
She earned her Master of Education degree from Stephen F.
Austin State University in 1979.
Baker
returned to TWU in August 1995 and was inducted into the
TWU Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame shortly thereafter.
She has been at the helm of the Pioneers for eight seasons.
The first academic year was spent recruiting student-athletes,
designing and building a first-class complex, and reintroducing
softball to the Denton and university communities. Since
the first season in 1996, TWU has come out strong. A respected
force in the Lone Star Conference, the Pioneers draw strength
from their coach.
“I
am not a very complicated person, and most people will tell
you that. I am very passionate and intense about the things
that are important to me,” Baker said. “I believe
in loyalty and that is why I love sports so much, because
I want to challenge myself and my kids to be loyal to one
another.”
This
fun-loving coach who thrives on her players’ intense
desire to play the game was recognized by her peers on Dec.
4, 1998, when she was inducted into the National Fastpitch
Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Baker was honored as a
2000 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipient, recognizing
both her career as a student-athlete from the class of 1975
and her professional career of the past 26 years.
Baker
is currently a member of the NFCA Camps and Clinics Committee,
the NCAA South Central Region All-America Committee and the
NFCA Top 25 Poll.
Contact Coach Baker
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