Baker looks to cook up another win (2024)

With great power comes great responsibility folks have long said, and Abingdon High School sophom*ore softball standout Lauren Baker is having a great season while shouldering some daunting duties.

You see, she is not only the ace pitcher of the Falcons, but also serves as the team’s leadoff hitter.

For some youngsters that might be too much, but not for Baker.

“Lauren is a natural born leader,” said AHS coach Chelsea Campbell. “She is a competitor in anything she does. Lauren is always the person coaches rely on to set the tone of the game.”

Baker had one of her finest moments last Thursday as sixth-seeded Abingdon went on the road and earned a 4-3, eight-inning victory over No. 3 Cave Spring in the quarterfinals of the VHSL Region 3D tournament.

With one out in the top of the eighth inning and Muriel Dillow on first base, Baker got the sign from Campbell, who was standing in the third-base coach’s box.

Her reaction.

Come again?

“I did a double take and looked at her again,” Baker said. “Making sure that’s what she called.”

The instructions were to put down a bunt.

“I knew Cave Spring wasn’t expecting her to bunt, because she had already had two hard hits,” Campbell said. “But she’s a player that knows how to shake things up, so I knew she would get the job done.”

So, Baker did what she was told.

“I stepped in the box and recognized where I needed to bunt the ball to be the most efficient and that was towards third base,” she said. “I have not gotten the bunt sign often this season. I have been seeing the ball pretty well.”

The perfectly placed bunt was misplayed by Cave Spring’s third baseman as Dillow sprinted home for the go-ahead run.

“When Muriel scored I knew I had a little breathing room because we had scored and they had the bottom of their lineup coming up to bat,” Baker said.

Baker indeed sat down Cave Spring’s hitters 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth as she went the distance to get the win in the circle.

It was the most recent scrapbook moment in a season full of them for Baker.

The left-hander has pitched to the tune of a 3.11 ERA and racked up 109 strikeouts in 114 innings of work.

She has a slash line of .427/.500/.551 to go along with five doubles, three triples and 22 RBIs at the plate. She has struck out just eight times.

An injury to Hannah Dillard has increased her pitching workload and she’s been up to the challenge.

“The thing that sticks out the most is her softball IQ,” Campbell said. “Lauren came in as a freshman last year and took over a role that some seniors can’t even fill. She’s the player that comes to me asking about opposing team’s stats, asking for film, analyzes game strategy, works at it on the weekends and is always looking to be better and never settling. She has a coach’s mentality at 16-years-old.”

Baker was also a sharpshooting guard for Abingdon’s basketball team that won the Region 3D title and advanced to the Class 3 state semifinals.

“She’s a kid that can handle the pressure and wants to rise to the occasion,” Campbell said.

Baker recently made the Raleigh, North Carolina-based Stars National travel-ball squad and will pitch and play outfield for the club this summer.

However, she would like to prolong her sophom*ore season with the Falcons.

A trip to the second-seeded Staunton River Golden Eagles (20-3) for a semifinal showdown takes place today at 6 p.m.. A state tournament berth will be at stake.

Abingdon (16-9) will need Baker to cook up another top-notch performance.

“I feel like we are playing well and peaking at the right time,” Baker said. “Everyone is on the same page and wanting to go as far as possible and that’s the attitude we have to have.”