Texas Woman's University Athletics

Baker lettered in five sports during her four years at TWU. With Baker playing shortstop, TWU won the AIAW state softball championship (1975), finished as the AIAW state softball runner-up (1973 and 1974), and represented the state of Texas in the College Softball World Series (1975). In addition to her softball achievements, she won 25 championship titles and 18 runner-up titles in tennis and badminton. As a senior in 1975, Baker was the softball team captain, was selected the Outstanding College Athlete of America, and was named to the Dean's List in Fall 1974 (3.52 GPA) and Spring 1975 (3.8 GPA). She graduated from TWU with a bachelor of science degree in Education. Baker served as the head softball coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, for 15 years. She led the Ladyjacks to the 1986 NCAA Division II National Championship, three NCAA Regional Championships, two Gulf Star Conference Championships and one Southland Conference Championship. Softball was reinstated at TWU in August 1994, and Baker was hired as the Pioneers' head coach in the summer of 1995. Baker immediately set to designing a home field, recruiting and building a winning program. In nine seasons at TWU she guided the Pioneers to 285-165-2 record and was named 1999 and 2002 Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year. Baker captured her 500th career win April 24, 1995, when SFA defeated Northwestern State (La.) University, and her 700th career win on March 2, 2003, leading the Pioneers against Oklahoma Panhandle State. Baker had compiled a 785-462-3 career record, establishing her among the winningest active coaches in the NCAA record books. Her coaching honors include being named 1986 National Coach of the Year, 1985 and 1986 Regional Coach of the Year, and 1984 Gulf Star Conference Coach of the Year. She coached 17 All-Americans and one Olympian, Sandy Green, a left fielder on the 1996 Canadian Olympic Team. Baker was inducted into NFCA Hall of Fame in December 1998, and also the Stephen F. Austin Athletics Hall of Fame. She has penned three books, published numerous articles, and is the featured instructor in an eight-part softball fundamentals videotape series called, "Softball." In February 2019, TWU announced a gift of $500,000 - the largest gift to TWU Softball and the single largest gift to TWU Athletics by a living alumna - from the softball legend. In recognition of her amazing contributions to the University and the impact she had had on so many students, TWU renamed the softball field "Dianne Baker Field" on February 22, 2019.  A formal dedication ceremony will take place on Sept. 21, 2019.