Biography
2025: NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honoree ... CSC academic all-district selection ... PBC Preseason all-conference selection … Picked up six wins and had a shutout … Worked 134.1 innings and had 113 strikeouts … Posted a 3.91 ERA in 25 games, earning 19 starts … Tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out seven, in the win at Mount Olive … Threw a complete game, striking out six, at Barton … Worked 4.1 innings of relief, picking up the victory over the Bulldogs and had four strikeouts … Threw a complete game, striking out four, in the win at Newberry … Tossed a complete game, striking out seven, in the win over North Greenville … Had three strikeouts against the Trailblazers … Recorded nine strikeouts in a complete-game effort against No. 14 FMU … Struck out 11 in the complete-game win over Erskine … Had four strikeouts against Young Harris … Went the distance and had five strikeouts against the Lions … Tossed three strikeouts against No. 11 North Georgia … Had four strikeouts against the Nighthawks … Struck out seven at Georgia Southwestern … Had a pair of strikeouts at GCSU … Went the distance, striking out five against Columbus State … Struck out four in relief against the Cougars … Struck out 14 against the Trojans … Struck out five against the Bulldogs … Went the distance to get the complete-game win, striking out four, in the victory over the No. 20 Saints … Tossed a complete game and had a strikeout against AU … Tossed a scoreless fifth and had two strikeouts in the victory over the Tigers … Threw 2.1 innings and had two strikeouts at Catawba.
2024: CSC Academic-All District selection ... Appeared in 34 games, earning 25 starts … Tied for the team lead with 14 wins … Tossed 19 complete games and was in on two shutouts … Posted two saves in 164.2 frames … Had 165 strikeouts … First-team all-PBC honoree … PBC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 19 and March 11 … Struck out nine without surrendering a walk at Francis Marion … Tossed a complete game, striking out eight without walking a batter, in the win over Newberry … Came in and tossed 1.2 frames with a strikeout to pick up the save against the Wolves … Tossed a complete game, striking out six, to pick up the win over North Greenville … Recorded a complete-game, one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in the win over Belmont Abbey … Tossed a complete-game, one-hitter in the 10-inning victory at Anderson, striking out 10 while giving up just three hits … Struck out eight while throwing a complete game in the win over Converse … Struck out seven while throwing a one-hit shutout in four innings of work in the win over Claflin … Totaled six strikeouts in the win over Erskine … Registered seven strikeouts against No. 1 North Georgia … Recorded eight strikeouts while giving up just one earned run in the eight-inning victory over No. 11 Wingate … Tossed a complete game, striking out six, to get the win over USC Beaufort … Recorded the save and had three strikeouts in the win over the Sand Sharks … Struck out three against the Bobcats … Struck out four against UNC Pembroke … Had four strikeouts against CSU … Tallied five strikeouts against the Cougars … Threw a complete game, getting the victory in eight innings while having six strikeouts against Lander … Went the distance, striking out three, to get the win over the Bearcats … Struck out nine batters in 5.1 innings of work at Emmanuel … Had five strikeouts at AU … Notched five strikeouts in the win over the Jaguars … Tossed a complete game, striking out 11 to pick up the win at Flagler … Tied her career high with 13 strikeouts in the complete-game win over Benedict … Had a pair of strikeouts against Georgia Southwestern … Tossed 2.2 frames and had three strikeouts against Flagler in the PBC Tournament … Went the distance for the complete-game victory with six strikeouts against Augusta in the PBC Tournament … Threw two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of relief against the Saints in the PBC Tournament.
2023: Saw time in 35 games, earning 25 starts … Posted nine wins on the season … Led the Pacers with 153 strikeouts … Struck out four against Francis Marion … Had a strikeout while throwing a complete game against Catawba … Posted three strikeouts at North Greenville … Struck out five against Erskine … Went the distance, striking out nine, to get the win over Clarion … Struck out one against the Trojans … Had a pair of strikeouts in the complete-game effort at Wingate … Tossed an absolute gem, striking out 13 in the 11-inning, 2-1 win over Young Harris … Tallied three strikeouts against the Mountain Lions … Struck out one at No. 3 North Georgia … Tallied two strikeouts against the Nighthawks … Registered a strikeout at UNG … Struck out 10 batters against Mars Hill … Recorded nine strikeouts to pick up the win at Claflin … Had four strikeouts in 2.1 innings at USC Beaufort … Posted three strikeouts in the win over USC Beaufort … Worked four innings of relief, striking out four, to pick up the win over USCB … Worked six innings and had three strikeouts against GCSU … Came in and tossed the final 2.1 innings with a strikeout to get the save against the Bobcats … Tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out 10, in the win over Benedict … Struck out six at Columbus State … Struck out six at Limestone … Recorded a strikeout against the Saints … Struck out four at Lander … Tallied four strikeouts to pick up the win over the Bearcats … Tossed a complete game, striking out seven, in the win over Augusta … Tallied three strikeouts against AU … Struck out nine batters without giving up a run in 6.2 innings of relief work against Flagler … Tossed five strikeouts in the series finale against the Saints … Struck out six at Georgia Southwestern … Worked 4.1 innings and had four strikeouts to pick up the victory over No. 2 North Georgia in the PBC Tournament … Tossed 4.2 innings of work and struck out three in the victory over third-seeded Georgia Southwestern in the PBC Tournament … Struck out six against UNG.
2022: Went 14-8 on the season with a 2.82 ERA … Posted 101 strikeouts in 154 innings of work … Tossed a complete game, striking out five, to pick up the win at Francis Marion … Threw a complete game, striking out three, to pick up the win over UNC Pembroke … Struck out two while throwing eight innings of relief at Catawba … Registered a complete-game shutout, striking out nine, to get the win over Southern Wesleyan … Tossed 6.1 innings, striking out six, against No. 23 Anderson … Threw a complete game, picking up the win over North Greenville … Struck out six in the five-hit complete-game win over Coker … Struck out 11 in the eight-inning complete game win at Erskine … Recorded a nine-inning, seven strikeout win at Augusta … Worked five innings and had four strikeouts to pick up the win at Augusta … Had a strikeout against Lander … Struck out six in the complete-game win at Young Harris … Struck out four in a complete-game effort at Young Harris … Worked 4.1 innings with a strikeout to pick up the win over Georgia Southwestern … Had two strikeouts in a complete game against GSW … Worked four frames and had two strikeouts at Georgia College … Got the complete-game shutout win, striking out two while giving up just three this in the win at Georgia College … Struck out six to pick up the win over Mars Hill … Struck out 10 in the complete-game shutout win over Claflin ... Had six strikeouts against Limestone … Tossed a complete game, picking up the win while striking out two in the win over the Saints … Picked up her first career save after throwing 1.1 innings of relief with a strikeout in the win at Flagler … Struck out three against Columbus State … Had a strikeout against the Cougars.
High School: Attended East Lincoln H.S. … Two-time all-conference honoree … ELHS Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman … Team MVP as a sophomore … Sported a 1.86 ERA as a sophomore while holding opponents to a .205 batting average … In a shortened junior season, she posted a 1.87 ERA and limited opponents to a .164 batting average.
Personal: Payton Baker was born June 8 in Charlotte, N.C. … Daughter of Bill and Lauri Baker … Majoring in business administration.
