Lexie Baldwin is not the typical Ohio women’s basketball player. Her favorite hobbies include fishing, riding four-wheelers (or mud-riding, as she calls it), and hunting. When she is not shooting wild game, though, she is perfecting her game on the hardwood.
The freshman forward hails from Hattiesburg, Miss., and is the only player on Ohio’s roster from the South. Baldwin was raised in a military family with a prevalent basketball history. Her cousin, Ruthie Bolton, is a member of the WBNA Hall of Fame and two-time Olympic gold medalist for Team USA.
The sheer size of Baldwin’s family makes communication between her and Bolton infrequent, but when the two speak, the conversation is beneficial.
“She (Bolton) is definitely very uplifting,” Baldwin said. “If something is bad, she’ll say it in the best way possible. She gives great pointers.”
Bolton is indeed an uplifting a role model; she was named the best
Mississippian female athlete ever by “Sports Illustrated.” In college, she was told that she would not even play, but ended up becoming the first Lady Tiger to have her number retired at Auburn University.
She went on to secure three Southeastern Conference championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and two NCAA runner-ups. And that’s just in college.
She went on to play for the Sacramento Monarchs from 1997-2004 and is ranked fourth all-time on the WNBA’s three-point scoring list and is the only Monarch player to have her number hang in the rafters of Arco Arena.
“She constantly worked for everything she has. It was hard for her at first in college, but she succeeded,” said Baldwin. “She’s a great inspiration.”
Baldwin’s young basketball career has been inspired by Bolton, but it began on her birthday at an early age. Years ago, her mother and father presented her with a classic gift: her first Little Tikes basketball hoop.
With her military background and moving to different military bases, it wasn’t always easy for Baldwin to play.
“The whole process was hard,” said Baldwin. “Whenever I stayed in Louisiana, we stayed like 10 minutes away from the Air Force base, so I had to switch schools and play against my old team. It was kind of wacky.”
Baldwin’s father, Ronald Moore, was forced to leave for Afghanistan just a month before her high school graduation.
“It was probably the worst thing that happened at the time,” said Baldwin.
Even though it was difficult to play sometimes, Baldwin’s love for the game persevered as she continued to play and succeed in life. She has been able to carry on through the adversity of seeing her father leave for duty before graduation and make it to Ohio.
Ohio coach Semeka Randall recognizes Baldwin’s determination and said she is happy to have her on the team.
“I think she’s going to provide a lot once she figures out how to play the game,” said Randall. “Motor is key for her. Once she learns how to get to that whole next level, she could be a pretty special player.”
She is a determined southern country girl in the foreign world of Athens.
Success and hard work run in the family. Her father, mother and cousin have shown her what it takes to get to the top, and Baldwin is ready for the journey.
“I don’t care what I’m faced with, or how many times I get yelled at,” said Baldwin. “It doesn’t matter, I’m going to be there.”
jm296009@ohiou.edu
