It’s 24 miles from Lander to Riverton. If you didn’t know that, just ask Lander Valley High School senior Brayden Baker.
Baker “keeps the road hot” between Fremont County’s two biggest towns throughout the summer and then again in the winter months.
Baker is a standout athlete for the Lander Valley Tigers in football and track, but is equally adept as a Riverton Raider, pitching and catching for the American Legion Class A team. Add to that his position as a defenseman for the Fremont County Ice Hockey team, and he’s a busy athlete.
Baker wears the green and black for the Lander Tigers in football and track but wears the Riverton uniform in baseball and hockey.
Many sports fans ask Baker what it’s like playing with your rival? He is quick to respond.
“I don’t even notice it. I played 50-something games with them this summer; they’re no different than my friends here,” Baker said. “I’ve known the kids in Lander a lot longer, but they’re in the brotherhood with me even though they’re rivals. They’re just a different color.”
Baker began playing for Riverton in 7th grade.
“I played Little League in Lander,” Baker said. “I played a little bit of Legion C and a quite of bit of A in my 7th grade year.”
Baker was a mainstay for the Raiders the past few seasons behind the plate and on the mound.
“Catching is definitely my favorite,” Baker said. “You get to control the field, you get to see every single position, and you’re a part of every single play.”
Baker has one more year of eligibility for the Raiders before he ages out, and he plans to return after his freshman year of college.
He’s been getting a lot of notice from community colleges and small schools as a baseball player.
“I’ve been talking with quite a few colleges about baseball,” Baker said. “I want to go the junior college route, but don’t have any commitments.”
As a college baseball player, Baker may find himself on the mound.
He was clocked at 92 miles per hour last summer in a game in Evanston, where he struck out 13 opposing batters.
His favorite pitch is the fastball, but he has two others to augment it.
“I picked up a splitter as a changeup, it’s a 20mph difference than my fastball, my curveball keeps them on their toes,” Baker said.
He has a quick bat, routinely driving balls into left or left center, along with four over the fences last summer.
“I like the fastball, that’s everybody’s favorite. It’s easiest to see out of the hand,” Baker said. “If a pitcher has a good curveball and a fastball, it’s hard to hit both. I’ll go the opposite way, but preferably I’m center or left field.”
Baker carries a 3.7 GPA and enjoys ag classes and wood shop at Lander Valley High School.
In football, Baker will be a mainstay for the Tigers this fall at running back and defensive end. He had a 300-yard rushing night in his best game of the season last fall.
“We should be pretty decent with 12 or 13 seniors,” Baker said.
Last spring, he went out for track and field for the first time in high school.
“It was my first year coming out, I was doing it to get faster for baseball and other sports,” Baker said. “I ended up doing pretty well.”
He made the finals in the Class 3-A 100-meter dash.
Hockey is a sport that fits the physical style of play Baker brings to the diamond and the gridiron.
“I like how fast paced it is, there’s no stop, and there’s quite a bit of contact as well,” Baker said. “It’s one of the most fun sports to watch and one of the more fun ones to play.”
Though he excels at every sport, his sights remain on baseball.
“I’m mainly looking for baseball,” Baker said. “Sports take up a lot of your time. Hopefully I can play both positions, but I might be converting to pitcher in college.”
Baker comes from an athletic family. His dad, Eric, is a former football and baseball standout for Lander, and his grandfather, Art, was a Tiger coach for a long time.
“My dad has coached me all my life; he’s hard on me at times, but he means well and wants to see me do the best that I can.”
His mom is Nikki Baker and his grandma, Betty Baker.
Baker plans to major in business management.
