Dave Baker

Dave Baker grew up in Manhattan and served as K-State’s bat boy while in elementary school.  After high school, he passed up the chance to sign with the Detroit Tigers to start an education at Coffeyville Community College.  Coffeyville did not have baseball so he played basketball on their 1962 NJCAA championship team.

After Coffeyville, Baker played a year of baseball at K-State, followed by two years at Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia.

During his college days, Baker played for several summer league teams, including the 1965 National Baseball World Series champion Rapid Transit Dreamliners.  He also caught Satchel Paige in an exhibition with the Kansas City Monarchs.

Baker began his coaching career as an assistant at KSTC under Larry Cochelle, who he followed to Creighton.  At Creighton, Baker was also a basketball assistant under coach Eddie Sutton.  After one year, Cochelle left and Baker was promoted to head baseball coach.  In his six seasons as head coach, the Blue Jays were 140-107-1.

In 1977, Baker became the first African-American head coach at a Big 8 school when he returned to K-State.  He led the Wildcats to 137 wins in six seasons and saw four players selected in the MLB draft.