Born and raised in Easton, Connecticut, approximately ten minutes away from Metro Conference rivals Sacred Heart and Fairfield, Marist baseball sophomore outfielder TJ Baer got his start in baseball after following in his brothers’ footsteps.
Growing up in a primarily soccer-dominated family, Baer looked to his two older brothers, Jack and Max, at age 3 and picked up a baseball and bat.
“I was always at their games,” Baer said. “But my first organized game was probably at five or six years old.”
Baer attended Joel Barlow High School, where he dominated the stat sheet with a team-leading .433 batting average along with 105 hits, 39 runs batted in and a stellar .538 on-base percentage. In 2023, Baer led his team to a Connecticut State Championship matchup, which he compared to the 1998 Atlanta Braves team that fell just short in a caption on Instagram.
“It was a good team, we had a lot of fun,” Baer said. “We just came out short.”
As a junior in high school, Baer was actively being scouted for a spot on the Sacred Heart roster, but a slower 60-yard dash time of seven seconds led to a lack of interest amongst the coaching staff. For many Division I baseball programs, a player is expected to run 60 yards in roughly 6.5-6.9 seconds.
“I kind of just brushed it off like it was nothing,” Baer said.
In the fall of 2023, Baer made his way to Poughkeepsie for the first time to meet face-to-face with head coach Lance Ratchford after being formally invited to the annual prospect camp. Baer recalls his first interaction with the skipper as very professional and almost business-like.
“He treats everyone the same because at the end of the day, it’s just business,” Baer said.
Less than a year later, in June, 2024, Baer verbally announced his commitment to Marist via social media.
At just 5 feet 9 inches tall, Baer was one of the shortest players on the 2025-26 Marist roster.
“I’ve always had some pop in my swing just for my size,” Baer said. I was never a big kid.”
Baer is unfazed by his overall height and uses it to fuel his passion for going to the gym, eating healthily, and trying to build muscle. Being that the team is constantly traveling, he finds it important to be mindful about what foods he consumes and puts in his body, which some athletes tend to shy away from during road trips.
“We are on the road a lot, and we’re skipping meals…make sure you’re putting good stuff in your body because it can slow you down for sure,” he said.
Baer’s parents have both played a key role in helping him develop as an athlete and supporting his career. His father, Jason, is a personal fitness trainer aiding in the personal health and fitness of many notable sports media personalities and athletes, while his mother, Darsi, played tennis at the University of Connecticut.
“My dad is my biggest fan,” Baer said. “We discuss and talk about my games every night. “My mom is always so supportive and knows what it means to be a strong athlete.”
Before arriving in Poughkeepsie, Baer spent the summer of 2025 playing with the Bridgeport Barnums, one of 12 teams in the Connecticut Collegiate Baseball League. CCBL rosters consist mainly of Division III ballplayers, but on rare occasions, highly touted high schoolers are invited as well. Baer was one of them, and he recorded a .318 batting average while collecting 14 hits and 13 runs batted in 16 games.
That type of success has been frequent for Baer throughout his career; he has rarely faced slumps in his game. In fact, the biggest challenge he faced was just months ago. Baer went from being a plus .300 hitter through the first two months of his freshman season, to hitting .272 by the end of May.
“I had the sophomore slump at the end of my freshman season,” said Baer. “I’m still trying to figure out what happened.”
He has been working on getting to the bottom of his slump this summer with the Norwich Sea Unicorns of the Futures League, where he earned recognition as a 2026 All-Star.
The Sea Unicorns have aided in producing 32 players who have made their Major League debuts, including 2022 World Series MVP Jeremy Peña, Zack Short, and current Yankees right-handed ace Cam Schlittler. In total, the Sea Unicorns have produced over 300 MLB draft selections, and Baer compares the adjustment to the Futures League like playing in the Metro Conference.
“Adjustment-wise, it’s similar,” said Baer.
As for his upcoming sophomore season at Marist, Baer is focused on the fall and spring seasons ahead. Coach Ratchford gave him a piece of advice for the offseason: “Come back stronger.”
As he works to get stronger, his confidence stays steady.
“Come watch me play, I can show you what I do.”
Edited by Max Rosen & Ryan Eichem
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
Photos from Marist Athletics
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