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Cade Baker, a junior outfielder from Whitney, Texas, has established himself as Toledo's leadoff hitter.
Rocket Spotlight on Cade Baker
4/14/2026 10:55:00 AM | Baseball
On becoming his high school basketball team's career scoring leader, committing to UT while at Stubborn Brother and how a joke turned into his walkup song
Cade Baker is a junior outfielder from Whitney, Texas. Baker came to Toledo after playing two junior college seasons at Alvin College in Texas. For Toledo, Baker has played and started in all 35 games this season, quickly establishing himself as Toledo's leadoff hitter. Baker has a .347 average, a .429Â on-base percentage, 52 hits, 16Â doubles, three home runs, 17Â RBIs and 36 runs scored so far this season. He is majoring in business management.
On growing up and playing baseball in Whitney, Texas
I really enjoyed it down south in a small town. Growing up, you have certain friend groups and you can stay with the same friend group through high school. Even if it's only 3-4 people, it's pretty cool to have the same friends throughout the whole high school experience. I was a fan of the Rangers growing up.
On the difference between foods in Texas and Ohio
We eat a lot of different foods like corn nuggets and fried okra - all kinds of weird things. Up here, I'm talking about eating kolaches. They are pastry type of things with fruit in the middle. So, the food is a little different here.
On choosing baseball over basketball
I didn't know what I was really going to do at the start of my high school career because I was good at basketball as well. I was the leading scorer on our team and we won districts for the first time in a while. I became our school's career points leader with over 1,700 points. I always thought I could play basketball or baseball, but then it kind of showed towards my senior year that I will have an actual career in baseball rather than basketball. So I ended up choosing baseball. In my senior year, I started getting messages more for baseball over basketball, and looked in the mirror and realized what I could be in each sport and knew baseball was the right choice for me.
On the challenges of playing baseball and basketball
The first couple of weeks for each baseball season, I did not get to play because we had playoffs for basketball. So I was always out first couple of weeks. I would get back after districts. It was always hard for me because I wanted to practice baseball during basketball season but also didn't want to take away from my time playing basketball. So it was difficult to map it out and figure out what to do before the season started.
On choosing to start his college career in junior college
In high school, I didn't get much recruiting buzz. That's why I waited so long to choose between basketball or baseball, because I wasn't really putting my name out there. I didn't play summer ball in high school. I had a good amount of JUCOs to choose from around the area. Alvin gave the best offer and had the best coaching staff for what I wanted, so that's why I chose them.
On what he learned he junior college
Definitely maturing as a person, learning how to live by yourself and learning how to be more mature and growing up, living in a place you've never lived before and having to diagnose everything by yourself without family around. I had never played summer ball, so I had never seen a pitch faster than 85 miles per hour. My high school had 80 people so we were a really small town. So I really never saw any velo or anything, but I learned a lot about how to read faster pitching and sharper pitches at Alvin.
On moving from the infield to the outfield
I didn't play outfield until last year. My entire life I played shortstop and then once I got to junior college, I played mostly second base, and also played third base and shortstop a little bit. Then, my sophomore year, I started the season at third but moved to center field. That's where I stuck. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. At the very beginning, it might have been a little difficult to read fly balls of the bat. It kind of came naturally. I feel like I am a pretty decent athlete so I could figure it out.
On being recruited to play at Toledo
I knew about Toledo from playing NCAA 13 and 14 (video games). I had never really thought about them since then. Then I started getting messages about Division I baseball from other colleges, and I got a message from Coach Santi (Garcia). Then Coach Pat (Cottrell) called me and it all went from there. I came on a visit before I committed. It was right before the transfer portal opened for D1 athletes. I committed while I was here at Stubborn Brother (restaurant). I was having a meat lover's slice when I committed.
On playing far from home
At Alvin, I was about four hours from home. So, my family would come once week to a game. Now, it has changed to once a month. The real difference is not when you have a good game, but when you have a rough game, you can't really go outside and give your family a hug. You have to go straight back to the bus. That's been the most mentally challenging thing I've had to deal with. Overcoming those challenges has been a little bit easier now because I have more families and people around here that I talk to, such as Troy and Ryan Sudbrook's family. I also call my parents after every game.
On the weather in Ohio vs. Texas
Here it is 45 degrees today and back home it's probably 90. So, the weather is the most different. In the fall I loved it. It was 70 degrees here and at home it was 95-100. But now it is probably 75-80 at home everyday and here it's 45-55.
On batting in the leadoff spot
In the fall, I pulled both of my hamstrings so I really didn't get to prove what I actually was like as a player. I always knew that I would start. The first couple games I started batting in the six-hole, and I knew I wanted to be batting at the top of the order. But I was going day-by-day and ended up batting in the one-hole. It's been going good from there. It has not been much of a change (from previous spots in the order). The only difference is I'm usually an aggressive hitter and sometimes the first pitch of the game you've got to take. There's little difference, but after the first at-bat it's usually the same. I usually try to get as much info as I can to tell the people behind me, which I never really had to do before. So that has been a little bit of a change.
On the closeness of this year's teamÂ
I've really enjoyed the team. This is the closest team I've had. Everyone is friends and everyone really enjoys each other's presence. It's a good time even if you have a bad game. You can still hang out with your team and it's still enjoyable. Here it's really close.
On his goals for the 2026 season
With the team, the goal is to obviously win a championship and go to an NCAA regional for the first time. For me personally, my goal is to be drafted, whether that's this year or next year. Right now, I'm just worried about the team and trying to win games.
On gameday routine and pre-game superstitions
I have tried to stay away from superstitions as much as possible. I used to be really bad about it, like putting one batting glove before another. I tried to stay away from it, but obviously, if you have two hits in a game and you're running on one side of the bag (coming back to the dugout from the field), you keep running that side of the bag. Before the game, I have the same meal every day unless we play early. If we have to be there at noon, I will go to McDonald's and get two McDoubles and Powerade before every game.
On why he chose "No Broke Boys" by Tinashe as his walkup song
It will probably stay for next season. I think everyone enjoys it. It kind of started off as a joke between me and my roommates and Ryan Sudbrook. We were in the car, Ryan played it and I said "Play it again," and we kept listening to it. I knew since last fall that was going to be my walkup song.
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On growing up and playing baseball in Whitney, Texas
I really enjoyed it down south in a small town. Growing up, you have certain friend groups and you can stay with the same friend group through high school. Even if it's only 3-4 people, it's pretty cool to have the same friends throughout the whole high school experience. I was a fan of the Rangers growing up.
On the difference between foods in Texas and Ohio
We eat a lot of different foods like corn nuggets and fried okra - all kinds of weird things. Up here, I'm talking about eating kolaches. They are pastry type of things with fruit in the middle. So, the food is a little different here.
On choosing baseball over basketball
I didn't know what I was really going to do at the start of my high school career because I was good at basketball as well. I was the leading scorer on our team and we won districts for the first time in a while. I became our school's career points leader with over 1,700 points. I always thought I could play basketball or baseball, but then it kind of showed towards my senior year that I will have an actual career in baseball rather than basketball. So I ended up choosing baseball. In my senior year, I started getting messages more for baseball over basketball, and looked in the mirror and realized what I could be in each sport and knew baseball was the right choice for me.
On the challenges of playing baseball and basketball
The first couple of weeks for each baseball season, I did not get to play because we had playoffs for basketball. So I was always out first couple of weeks. I would get back after districts. It was always hard for me because I wanted to practice baseball during basketball season but also didn't want to take away from my time playing basketball. So it was difficult to map it out and figure out what to do before the season started.
On choosing to start his college career in junior college
In high school, I didn't get much recruiting buzz. That's why I waited so long to choose between basketball or baseball, because I wasn't really putting my name out there. I didn't play summer ball in high school. I had a good amount of JUCOs to choose from around the area. Alvin gave the best offer and had the best coaching staff for what I wanted, so that's why I chose them.
On what he learned he junior college
Definitely maturing as a person, learning how to live by yourself and learning how to be more mature and growing up, living in a place you've never lived before and having to diagnose everything by yourself without family around. I had never played summer ball, so I had never seen a pitch faster than 85 miles per hour. My high school had 80 people so we were a really small town. So I really never saw any velo or anything, but I learned a lot about how to read faster pitching and sharper pitches at Alvin.
On moving from the infield to the outfield
I didn't play outfield until last year. My entire life I played shortstop and then once I got to junior college, I played mostly second base, and also played third base and shortstop a little bit. Then, my sophomore year, I started the season at third but moved to center field. That's where I stuck. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. At the very beginning, it might have been a little difficult to read fly balls of the bat. It kind of came naturally. I feel like I am a pretty decent athlete so I could figure it out.
On being recruited to play at Toledo
I knew about Toledo from playing NCAA 13 and 14 (video games). I had never really thought about them since then. Then I started getting messages about Division I baseball from other colleges, and I got a message from Coach Santi (Garcia). Then Coach Pat (Cottrell) called me and it all went from there. I came on a visit before I committed. It was right before the transfer portal opened for D1 athletes. I committed while I was here at Stubborn Brother (restaurant). I was having a meat lover's slice when I committed.
On playing far from home
At Alvin, I was about four hours from home. So, my family would come once week to a game. Now, it has changed to once a month. The real difference is not when you have a good game, but when you have a rough game, you can't really go outside and give your family a hug. You have to go straight back to the bus. That's been the most mentally challenging thing I've had to deal with. Overcoming those challenges has been a little bit easier now because I have more families and people around here that I talk to, such as Troy and Ryan Sudbrook's family. I also call my parents after every game.
On the weather in Ohio vs. Texas
Here it is 45 degrees today and back home it's probably 90. So, the weather is the most different. In the fall I loved it. It was 70 degrees here and at home it was 95-100. But now it is probably 75-80 at home everyday and here it's 45-55.
On batting in the leadoff spot
In the fall, I pulled both of my hamstrings so I really didn't get to prove what I actually was like as a player. I always knew that I would start. The first couple games I started batting in the six-hole, and I knew I wanted to be batting at the top of the order. But I was going day-by-day and ended up batting in the one-hole. It's been going good from there. It has not been much of a change (from previous spots in the order). The only difference is I'm usually an aggressive hitter and sometimes the first pitch of the game you've got to take. There's little difference, but after the first at-bat it's usually the same. I usually try to get as much info as I can to tell the people behind me, which I never really had to do before. So that has been a little bit of a change.
On the closeness of this year's teamÂ
I've really enjoyed the team. This is the closest team I've had. Everyone is friends and everyone really enjoys each other's presence. It's a good time even if you have a bad game. You can still hang out with your team and it's still enjoyable. Here it's really close.
On his goals for the 2026 season
With the team, the goal is to obviously win a championship and go to an NCAA regional for the first time. For me personally, my goal is to be drafted, whether that's this year or next year. Right now, I'm just worried about the team and trying to win games.
On gameday routine and pre-game superstitions
I have tried to stay away from superstitions as much as possible. I used to be really bad about it, like putting one batting glove before another. I tried to stay away from it, but obviously, if you have two hits in a game and you're running on one side of the bag (coming back to the dugout from the field), you keep running that side of the bag. Before the game, I have the same meal every day unless we play early. If we have to be there at noon, I will go to McDonald's and get two McDoubles and Powerade before every game.
On why he chose "No Broke Boys" by Tinashe as his walkup song
It will probably stay for next season. I think everyone enjoys it. It kind of started off as a joke between me and my roommates and Ryan Sudbrook. We were in the car, Ryan played it and I said "Play it again," and we kept listening to it. I knew since last fall that was going to be my walkup song.
Â
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