The 2025 baseball season is still four months away, but recruiting is just starting to heat up for the Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee landed their first commitment from the ’26 cycle on Tuesday in utility player Tommy Baker out of Medina, Tenn.

“In my eyes, the program is in good shape heading forward. This is the third year for the new staff, and I already see improvement from where they were,” Baker said. “I visited last Saturday, and it was amazing; I loved the campus and facilities.”

The six-foot-one-inch 190lb junior is a highly touted player who stands as the No. 15 player in the state of Tennessee following a dominant 2024 season where Baker raked at the plate. Batting .432 with 11 home runs, 26 extra-base hits and 41 RBI while being named Second Team All-State by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA).

Following that sensational season, he played in multiple Prep Baseball Report (PBR) prospect games, where he had a solid summer and picked up a few things to improve his game.

“I loved playing with those guys who will be at the next level soon, and by doing that, I was able to learn what it looks like to be one of those guys,” says Baker. “From the warmup to how they carry themselves, it made me a better baseball player by having that experience.”

The MTSU coaching staff has been something that all recruits have raved over, as they have an immense amount of baseball knowledge and experience. However, the coach that stood out to Baker was associate head coach Kevin Nichols, who has been able to take players’ games to the next level everywhere he goes, and that’s what impressed the South Gibson junior.

“From the moment I stepped on campus, Coach Nichols and I have had a bond that was rare. We connected in many ways, especially the hitting side of things,” the utility player said. “After meeting him and talking about hitting, I knew that he was the coach who could take my game to the next level.”

Nichols pointed out that he likes the lefty’s power at the plate and how he can hit the ball gap-to-gap but can improve his game by tweaking the little things. Such as baker’s approach at the plate and parts of his swing that he needs to work on.

He can play multiple positions, so there’s plenty of confidence to play anywhere, although the idea is to play in the infield once he gets to MTSU.

Baker visited a few weeks ago and fell in love with the campus as a whole. He pointed out that he was impressed by all of MTSU’s facilities and what was going on with the Build Blue campaign. As he begins to gear up for his junior season of baseball for the Hornets, he’ll look to build off the impressive season a year ago and continue to prove he’s one of the best players in the state.

It’s just the beginning of the 2026 class, but getting Baker was a great starting point, and he’ll be one of the front-line guys as the commitment list continues to grow.