What to Know About Southern Miss Outfielder Transfer Portal Commit Cade Baker

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Heading into the Southern Miss baseball offseason, head coach Christian Ostrander and his staff knew that some reinforcements would be needed in the outfield, with senior outfielders Joey Urban and Ben Higdon's collegiate careers having come to an end. The Golden Eagles have some high-quality freshman outfield talent coming to Hattiesburg next season, but even with that, some proven, experienced talent was needed to potentially help bridge the gap.

Although The Roost and the 16oz Lounge at Pete Taylor Park will miss seeing Higdon do his thing in right field next year, the fan base should be excited to welcome another talented right fielder who also happens to wear No. 7 in Cade Baker, who recently committed to Southern Miss after entering the transfer portal from Toledo.

Baker By The Numbers

After spending the first two years of his collegiate career at Alvin College (Alvin, TX), Baker played his junior year at Toledo, where he started in all 61 games in right field. During the 2026 season, Baker established himself as the Rockets' lead-off hitter and accumulated 79 hits, 23 doubles, eight home runs, and 49 RBI. His 23 doubles ranked ninth in the nation during the regular season.

More RBIs and a three-run 5th! ✅

🚀 @cadebaker_ RBI double
🚀 @Jacob_Payne12 RBI single pic.twitter.com/tYUhsjJpy1
— Toledo Baseball (@ToledoBaseball) May 20, 2026

In 253 at-bats, Baker batted .312 and only struck out 32 times (10.9 K%). He was also either walked or hit by a pitch 35 times. According to his father, Shane, Cade has always been one of his team's leaders in hit-by-pitch. Golden Eagle fans are well aware of how often recently graduated first baseman Matthew Russo would get hit by pitches, and it looks like Coach Oz and his staff found someone who could potentially take over in that department in 2027.

Baker, who has a rocket of an arm, recorded 136 outs in 142 chances for a .985 fielding percentage. He also only had two errors his entire junior year.

Baker Brings Speed and Athleticism to USM Outfield and Bags

At 6-0, 200 pounds, Baker is a true athlete with plenty of speed and athleticism to pair with his strong throwing arm. He stole 18 bases on 21 attempts at Toledo last season. For context, the Golden Eagles stole 21 bases on 29 attempts as a team in 2026. As a testament to his athleticism, aside from being able to cover a lot of ground to make outstanding catches in the outfield, Baker can also dunk a basketball off two feet and do a standing backflip.

CADE. BAKER. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????

What a catch to end the sixth inning and preserve Toledo's 2-0 lead in the Battle of I-75!!!!!

"I surprised he got up." - Rick Poland@MLowryBCSN and @rpolandsr on the call.@BCSNsports @ESPNAssignDesk #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/vwD6CLl9IT
— Yaw Bonsu (@yawbonsu27) April 25, 2026

As great as the Golden Eagles were during the 2026 season, speed on the bags was never a strong suit. However, it looks like that could change next season, starting with this transfer portal addition of Baker. The Golden Eagles have a knack for bringing in transfer portal players who fit in seamlessly from Day 1, and judging by not only Baker's numbers but his tape as well, the chances of that trend continuing into the 2027 are strong. Is it February yet?

Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more USM baseball offseason content throughout the summer.

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