CIU athlete is award winner and inspiration to the team

Lauren Baker was born legally blind in her left eye and told she would never be able to play sports. Later in life she had a near drowning experience while being attacked by a dog that resulted in five plastic surgeries. The series of challenging health issues continued when she learned of a rare heart condition that resulted in open heart surgery, followed by ACL surgery and multiple other health conditions.

But Baker persevered through adversity and as she graduated from Columbia International University this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, the shortstop for the CIU Rams softball team was recognized as the 2023 Deb Thompson Award recipient for softball by the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).  

In her senior year, Baker led the team with a .402 batting average, three home runs, nine stolen bases, and a team low in strikeouts with four across the season. In 2022, after leading her team to a runner-up finish at the NCCAA Softball World Series, Baker was named to the All-Tournament team.

In academics, Baker graduated summa cum laude with a 3.9 GPA, was named to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) All-Academic team and was an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete. She also served as one of the team’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) huddle leaders.

“Despite actively dealing with challenging health issues, Lauren has led our team competitively, spiritually and culturally,” said Head Softball Coach Sara Allen. “She truly understands what it means to live and compete for the Lord’s glory and works hard to bring others along with her in that pursuit.”

This summer, Baker plans to travel on a ministry tour with Athletes in Action.

What’s your sport? Find it at ciurams.com.

CIU is celebrating 100 years of its mission to “educate people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ.” The university consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, as well as a Best Value Regional University in the South. Apply now or request information on enrollment by contacting Admissions at (803) 807-5024 or admissions@ciu.edu.