Honors and Awards
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First-Team All-Central Region (2004)
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All-Big 12 Newcomer Team (2002)
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Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week (2004: 10/12)
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Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Spring 2004)
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U.S. Under-21 National Team
2005 Season
Nikki Baker's senior campaign got off to a hot start as she recorded a goal in each of her first two games. She followed that up with three assists in the next three games. Baker was a solid part of a potent Husker offense that outscored their opponents 45-29 in the 2005 season. Baker finished her career with 10 game-winning goals, putting her fifth on the career list for that category.
Baker was also invited to train with the U.S. Under-21 National Team in May.
2004 Season
Baker played a key role in the Huskers' offensive attack that produced 50 goals in 23 games (2.18 goals-per game average). Baker started every game and finished second on the team with 14 goals and 30 points, both career-high totals.
In the NCAA Tournament, Baker stepped up her play and scored a career-high three goals in Nebraska's first-round victory over Oral Roberts. She then added the game-winning goal 4:19 into the first overtime in the Huskers' 2-1 win over Kansas that propelled Nebraska into the Sweet 16. Her three goals and six points against ORU tied the Nebraska single-game NCAA Tournament record and her four goals and eight points in the NCAA Tournament are both school records.
After notching two game-winning goals in the NCAA Tournament, Baker finished with a team-high five game-winning goals on the season, which tied for the sixth-highest total in school history.
In the regular season, Baker set single-game career bests against Texas with two assists and six points. For her efforts against Texas and Texas A&M the week of Oct. 12, she was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
Baker also made a case to be known as the fastest goal scorer in school history. She holds the NU record for quickest goal in a game at 37 seconds and scored just 53 seconds into a game against Purdue on Sept. 5. Her goal against the Boilermakers also proved to be the game winner. 2003 Season
Baker got off to a slow start, but came on strong during the conference season, scoring all five of her goals against Big 12 opponents.
Baker posted her first point of the season on an assist off an Iman Haynes goal against Wisconsin.
She posted 11 points on five goals and one assist on the season and took 33 shots.
Baker found the back of the net for the first time against Missouri during the regular season, unleashing two goals against the Tigers, including the game winner.
She went on a tear, scoring goals the next two games against Baylor and Texas Tech, including the game-winning goal against the Red Raiders.
The Bixby, Okla., native also knotted the score against Texas with a goal at the 23:47 mark, in a game the Huskers eventually lost in double overtime.
2002 Season
Baker started 23 of the 24 games she saw action in her freshman season. The Bixby, Okla., native was a solid force for the Huskers, after scoring her first collegiate goal against Creighton. Her first career point came on an assist against Belmont. Contributing 20 points on nine goals and two assists, Baker ranked third on the Husker scoring chart behind seniors Christine Latham and Kori Saunders.
Baker was honored as one of three NU freshmen named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer team. She was also named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week Oct. 15, after she sparked the Nebraska offense against Memphis and Iowa State. She knocked in a combined three goals on four shots in the two wins.
Baker notched a game-tying goal against Santa Clara, before the Huskers eventually surrendered the game-winning goal in a 3-2 loss to the Broncos in the NCAA Tournament.
High School
The Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year, Baker led Bixby High School to the state semifinals as a senior. At the forward position, Baker knocked in 40 goals in 18 games as a junior to lead her team. She was named to the Oklahoma all-state team and was honored as the Bixby Offensive Player of the Year during her senior season. Baker received four letters in soccer and one in track and field. She also received an academic letter for her classroom accomplishments.
Baker was one of three Husker freshmen in 2002 to be named Gatorade State Player of the Year for their respective states, joining Katie Bunkers (South Dakota) and Amber Richardson (Nebraska).
Other Information
Baker helped the Hurricane Futball Club capture six state championships in the club ranks. The Hurricanes not only compiled state championships, but were also crowned the USA Cup Champions. In the summer of 2002, Baker played for the Oklahoma Outrage and the Olympic Development Program Region III traveling team. Baker also participated in the U.S. Under-21 National Team camp in the spring of 2005.
Personal
InformationThe daughter of Lisa Baker and Kyle and Paulette Baker, Nikki has one sister, Melissa, 23, and one brother, Michael, 28. Nikki was born Aug. 16, 1984, in Tulsa, Okla. She is majoring in family and consumer sciences.