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ASU: Had a solid initial campaign ... possesses a strong foot with good accuracy ... one of the top kickers in the Pac-10. 1998: Sporting News First Team Freshman All-America selection ... second-team All-Pac-10 special teams selection ... averaged 45.7 yards per punt (school record) on 56 punts, 18 of which were downed inside the 20 ... ranked second in the Pac-10 third in the nation in punt yardage ... ranked sixth in the Pac-10 with 10 fields goals and seventh with a 58.8 field goal percentage ... saw his first action as a Sun Devil in the season opener against Washington ... had two punts for a 45-yard average ... kicked a 55-yarder in the second quarter ... had a booming 70-yard kickoff in the first quarter, a touchback, which was called off because of a penalty ... he re-kicked, this time booting the ball 68 yards ... also had an assisted tackle after a kickoff in the first quarter ... had seven punts for a 46.6-yard average, including a long of 50 yards at BYU ... took on placekicking duties for the first time against North Texas ... punted twice for a 56.5-yard average, with a long of 68 yards ... the 68-yard punt was the third-longest punt in the Pac-10 in 1998 ... kicked his first career field goal in the Sun Devils' 24-3 rout of Oregon State, 45-yarder, to put ASU up 17-3 in the third quarter ... also punted five times for 236 yards, a 47.2-yard average ... kicked a booming 74-yard kickoff, a touchback, in the first quarter ... punted six times for 259 yards, a 43.2-yard average, at USC ... kicked a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter ... also had one solo tackle ... punted four times for a 44.3-yard average, including a 62-yard long against Notre Dame ... kicked a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter ... punted six times for 309 yards, a 51.5-yard average, in the Sun Devils' 44-38 overtime victory over Stanford ... had a long of 57 yards ... also kicked a 44-yard field goal to tie the score at 24 in the third quarter ... ranked No. 1 in the country in punt yardage after the Stanford game ... kicked a 48-yard field in goal in the second quarter in ASU's 38-28 win at Washington State ... had five punts for an average of 37.6 yards, including a long of 51 yards ... of seven kickoffs in the game, three were touchbacks, and one was returned nine yards to the Washington State nine ... kicked two field goals in one game for the first time in his career in the Sun Devils' 55-22 rout of California ... one was a 33-yarder in the second quarter, and the other was a 38-yarder in the fourth quarter that capped off a 46-second drive ... also punted eight times, a career high, for a 44.4-yard average ... took on all kicking duties at Oregon ... punted six times for a 42.0-yard average ... also kicked two field goals in the second quarter, one for 26 yards and the other for 46 ... kicked five punts for a 50-yard average, including a 61-yard long at Arizona ... also kicked a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 1997 graduate of Foothill High School, Bakersfield, Calif.... is a punter and the brother of former ASU placekicker Jon Baker... earned all-Southeast Yosemite League honors and all-area for two seasons in both football and soccer... was second-team all-state as a punter... is rated as the No. 2 punter/kicker in the West by PrepStar Magazine and is a first-team all-America by that publication... compiled a 43.1-yard punting average and kicked 22 varsity field goals at Foothill High, which is a Central Section field goal record... booted 92-percent of his kickoffs into the end zone and holds Foothill records for most field goals, longest field goal (55 yards) and best punting average... lettered three times in football twice in golf, and once each in track and field and tennis... coached by Ned Permenter.
PERSONAL: Major is pre-business... parents are Dr. William and Sharon (office administrator) Baker of Bakersfield... born December 28, 1977 in Orange, Calif.... has an older sister who plays basketball at Cal State Stanislaus... lists most exciting sports experience as winning a soccer championship... full name is Stephen Mark Baker.
CAREER HIGHS: Punts: 8, vs. California (11/7/98). Average: 59.5, vs. North Texas (9/19/98). Long: 68, vs. North Texas (9/19/98). Field Goals Made: 2, twice, last at Oregon (11/14/98). Field Goals Attempted: 3, twice, last at Oregon (11/14/98). Longest Field Goal: 48, at Washington State (10/31/98).
Baker's Career Statistics
FGA FGM PCT. LONG PUNTS AVG. YDS LONG I20 TB
1998 17 10 58.8 48 56 45.7 2561 68 18 2
Career 17 10 58.8 48 56 45.7 2561 68 18 2
