Classroom:Baldridge has a 3.518 grade-point average in health promotion and is expected to graduate in December of 2008. The Fort Mill, S.C., native was on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team in 2007. While he will pursue a career in professional baseball after graduation, Baldridge would like to be a strength and conditioning coach for a college or professional team when he finishes playing baseball. Baldridge also had a 3.912 GPA in the fall of 2007.
Character:Baldridge is a quiet leader, but his hard work sets an example for the rest of the squad. Baldridge tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on Labor Day, but through his intensive rehabilitation and never quitting, he expects to be on the field on Opening Day. He went through a little slump during his sophomore year, but put in hard work over the following summer to become an All-Big South First Team selection and the Big South Tournament Most Valuable Player during his junior season.
Competition:Baldridge was the Big South Tournament's Most Valuable Player and an All-Big South and All-Atlantic Region First Team selection in 2007. This year, he has been named a Preseason First Team All-America by Rivals.com, a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America Second Team selection and was named to the Wallace Award Watch List for 2008. Baldridge hit .383 with 15 doubles, 13 home runs and 58 RBI in 2007, finishing in the top-10 in the Big South in batting average, hits, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, home runs and total bases. Baldridge had 26 multt-hit games and 16 multi-RBI performances. In his three-year career, Baldridge is hitting .362 with 27 doubles and 17 home runs.