Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers

Memphis native Paul Bakke hit and ran his way into the Northwest record books during the 1985-86 seasons.

During his time in Senatobia, Bakke hit .379 (113-of-298) with 14 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 40 stolen bases. He struck out only 13 times during the two-year stretch that saw the Rangers go 80-15 overall, win the MACJC north division twice and win the 1986 MACJC conference championship under the leadership of Jim Miles. Bakke was named MVP of the 1986 team and was twice named an All-MACJC and All-Region XXIII selection as a result of his play. 
 
At the time of his induction, Bakke still sits high atop several top-ten categories at Northwest including 10th in single-season stolen bases (24; 1985), 10th in career hits (113), eighth in career batting average (.379) and sixth in career stolen bases (40-40).
 
Bakke left Northwest to play at Memphis State, where he hit .315 as a freshman with 14 multiple hit games and was 11-of-12 in stolen bases. He really made his mark in 1988 when he led the team in at bats (200), runs (37), hits (71), triples (6) and was second on the squad in average (.355) and total bases (99). He was named to the Metro Conference first team and the South All-Region second team for his efforts.
 
Bakke worked in baseball for several years after graduation, beginning as a player for the Boise Hawks of the Northwest League in 1988. He then transitioned to coaching roles, first as a graduate assistant at Ohio University from 1989-91, where he received his Master's Degree in Athletic Administration during that time. His team also won the Mid-America Conference championship in 1991 and a bid to the NCAA regional tournament at the University of Florida. He continued coaching for the next two years at Wittenberg University and Morehead State University. Morehead State won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament during his final season as a coach in 1993. 
 
Bakke married the former Carolyn Bomar in 1993 and earned a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology in 1998. He is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice and resides in Huntsville, Alabama. Bakke has two children, Lauren and John. His son, John, is an Ohio Valley All-Conference pitcher at Morehead State who earned NCAA Academic All-America honors during the 2021 season.