Tony Baldwin Rejoins Georgia Softball Program
Head Georgia Bulldog softball coach Lu Harris-Champer has announced that Tony Baldwin is joining the Georgia softball staff as an assistant coach.
More from Georgia Bulldogs News
- Nick Chubb is America’s running back, and he will return
- Georgia Football: Report cards for Week 3 game against South Carolina
- Georgia Football: The AFCA Coaches Poll ranks Dawgs #1
- Top 5 SEC Stadiums according to a Georgia fan
- Georgia Football: Heavy favorites in SEC Football Media Poll
“I am excited to have Coach Baldwin back with the program,” Harris-Champer told Georgiadogs.com. “He is a fantastic coach that will fit in seamlessly at Georgia. He has a proven track record of developing both hitters and infielders. Additionally, Coach Baldwin has a passion for coaching student-athletes to not only be outstanding players, but outstanding people. Having him, his wife Suzanne and their four children back in Athens is an asset to both the team and the community.”
“My family and I are incredibly excited to return to Athens,” Baldwin said. “The University of Georgia is a special place for us. The opportunity to compete in the top conference and to play in front of the best fans in the country, and to work with Coach Harris-Champer again made this an easy move. I can’t wait to get started with our team. Go Dawgs!”
Baldwin is no stranger to the Bulldog program, having spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach from 2011-12. Baldwin returns to Georgia after spending two seasons as the assistant coach at North Carolina.
“Coach Tony is a great coach,” Georgia shortstop Paige Wilson said. “He is very knowledgeable about the game and is very good at making softball simple. He is a good man who has always kept in touch with his former players and has a lot of love for the game of softball.”
At UNC, Baldwin’s primary responsibilities included coaching hitting and infielders. Last year, four of Coach Baldwin’s players hit 300 and three hit double-digit home runs. Under Baldwin’s guidance, three Tar Heels were named to the All-ACC team, including one first team selection and two second team selections. In his first season, nine Tar Heels finished the season batting over .300 while six finished with slugging percentages over .500.
Prior to his first stint at Georgia, Baldwin spent 14 years coaching Division I baseball. Baldwin was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan State from 2006-08. Baldwin’s first recruiting class at Michigan State matriculated a freshman All-American and multiple draft picks. His second recruiting class was ranked the top recruiting class in the Big Ten and top-50 in the country by Baseball America. His third recruiting class also produced a freshman All-American and became the class with the most wins in school history.
Before Michigan State, Baldwin was the assistant head baseball coach from 2003-05 and assistant coach from 1999-2003 at Dartmouth College. At Dartmouth he was the recruiting coordinator, travel manager, eligibility coordinator and worked with fundraising and alumni relations. On the field he was the hitting and fielders coach, coordinated team defense, and was the third base coach. While there, Dartmouth claimed it’s first Red Rolfe Division Titles in 2000, 2001 and 2004.
Baldwin also was the assistant coach at Butler University from 1994-99, and the head coach of the Decatur Blues of the Central Illinois Collegiate League in 1999. At Butler, Baldwin was the hitting coach, infielders’ and catchers’ coach, and coordinated team defenseand the team won three MCC titles (1996, 1998 and 1999), the first in program history.
A native of Bloomington, Ind., Baldwin graduated from Butler in 1995 with a degree in finance. He was a four-year starter at catcher for Butler. In 1994, he served as a team captain for the Bulldogs and earned All-MCC honors.