Natural leader . . . two-time Team Captain . . . very experienced player . . . helped lead the team to the conference title as a freshman and to the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore . . . capable of setting up teammates for goals with the precision of her service.

Caroline Baxter

2008 (junior): Played in all 21 matches and logged 1,525 minutes of game action . . . started in 19 contests and ranked third on the team with nine points . . . led Samford with five assists and added a pair of goals, both of which proved to be game-winning scores (Western Carolina and Chattanooga) . . . finished the year ranked seventh in the Southern Conference with five assists . . . rattled off 21 shot attempts, 14 of which were on-goal . . . lifted the Bulldogs to a thrilling 2-1 SoCon victory over Western Carolina on Oct. 26 as she knocked home the game-winning goal during the 82nd minute of play . . . tallied her second game-winning goal of the season against Chattanooga on Oct. 30 as she also added an assist in the Bulldogs' 4-2 home victory on Senior Night . . . played the entire 90 minutes in six of Samford's 21 matches . . . earned her third varsity letter.

Caroline Baxter

2007 (sophomore): Proved to be one of only five Bulldog players to start in all 21 of the team's games throughout the season . . . logged a career-high 1,783 minutes, 85 per contest, which ranked second of all the position players on the team . . . tallied five assists as one of the team's corner kick specialists . . . the total of five assists finished the season ranked third amongst all Bulldog players . . . registered all five of her assists within a six-game span (Sept. 30-Oct. 21), including a Samford season-high, two-assist performance against Austin Peay (Oct. 21) . . . helped anchor Samford's defensive attack that led the OVC in goals-against average (0.73) . . . logged at least 90 minutes of playing time in 14 games and notched a season-high performance with 110 minutes against Southeast Missouri (Nov. 11) . . . earned her second varsity letter.

2006 (freshman): Earned playing time in 14 matches and made three starts against Ohio Valley Conference opponents . . . tallied the first point of her collegiate career Sept. 29 as she finished with an assist in the Bulldogs' 3-1 victory against Eastern Kentucky . . . attempted a season-high three shots versus Eastern Kentucky . . . played a season-high 67 minutes against Austin Peay in a 1-1 draw Sept. 24 . . . proved to be an active offensive threat late in the year and finished the season with three shots on goal . . . earned her first varsity letter.

Caroline Baxter

High School: Played for one of the top club teams in the Lake Highlands Girls Classic League, the D'Feeters Soccer Club . . . played with current teammates Heather Birdsell, Jessika Mejia and Hilary Samuels on the D'Feeters Soccer Club . . . was a four-year starter and captain at the Episcopal School of Dallas in the Southwest Preparatory Conference . . . named one of the top-five Players to Watch in private schools . . . paced both her high school team and the conference in goals as a junior and senior . . . was named first-team All-SPC in 2005 and 2006 . . . was the second-leading scorer in all high schools in North Texas . . . earned the team's Most Valuable Player award each of her last two seasons . . . named a National Merit Commended Scholar . . . member of the National Honor Society, the National French Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta.

Personal: Born June 12, 1988 . . . daughter of Robert and Katherine Baxter . . . her father played baseball at SMU . . . her grandfather Ralph Ellsworth played football and ran track at Texas . . . her sister Anne played soccer at Missouri . . . her cousin Laura Grace Robinson played soccer at Texas A&M . . . majoring in nursing.

ONE-ON-ONE WITH BAXTER
I can't imagine going a week without: brushing my teeth
Person (past or present) you would most like to meet: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Favorite place to eat: Surin
Favorite actor: Johnny Depp
Favorite athlete: Tony Romo

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

My favorite Samford memory is:
Watching the NCAA Selection Show at Coach Yelton's house during my sophomore year and seeing Samford pop up on the screen. That was such an exciting experience. Then playing LSU in the first round and taking them into overtime was a huge adrenaline rush. Everyone pulled together and fought so hard.

The one thing I'll miss the most about Samford soccer is:
My teammates. These girls have become my best friends and a second family to me. They are my biggest supporters and encouragers and I know that if I ever need anything I have 20-something girls I can call. They are each so amazing and I definitely wouldn't have made it without them.

The most important thing I can tell incoming freshmen is:
Be confident and have fun. This experience really flies by so take advantage of the time you have. There's a reason you are here, so don't waste time being afraid to mess up. Take time to invest in your teammates and coaches because they each have something to share.