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Key Statistics: Baker
was the second-leading rookie scorer for the Huskies
last season, playing in 37 games and recording nine
points. Those numbers included a three-game point streak
in October.
What He Does: The Huskies
are looking set at center as the season approaches,
meaning that Baker will find his place at wing on one
of Tech’s top two lines. The coaches praise his
ability to take faceoffs when needed as a huge asset
for his team, especially in the defensive zone. At just
5-7 and 170, he’s the smallest player on the Tech
roster, but Husky fans fondly recall a kid named Chris
Conner who never let size (or lack thereof) hold him
back.
The Bigger Picture: When
he’s not hitting the books (after one year of
college, Baker is the proud owner of a 3.31 GPA in business
administration with a concentration in finance) the
diminutive forward has been known to hit just about
everything else in sight. Huskies coach Jamie Russell
has seen plenty of junior hockey hotshots (Baker averaged
better than a point per game in his final season before
college) struggle to adjust to the fast lanes in the
WCHA, and had some similar concerns about Baker heading
into last season. It wasn’t even Halloween yet,
and Russell knew the kid would be all right on a Friday
night when the Huskies upset top-ranked North Dakota.
Baker had one assist in the game and more impressively,
went toe-to-toe (but certainly not eye-to-eye) with
massive Fighting Sioux defenseman Joe Finley (who is
a foot taller) on several shifts, playing with a real
fire and refusing to back down from any challenge.
Michigan Tech coach Jamie Russell
on Baker: "We have big expectations for
him this year. Jordan plays his best when he’s
an agitator and he’s in someone’s face.
He’s our smallest player but on some nights last
season he was also our most physical player."
—
Jess Myers
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