BARON BATCHRunning BackTexas Tech University Red Raiders5:10.0-210Midland, TexasMidland High School7th Round – 232nd Overall Baron Batch Conference Call quotes below the bioCAREER NOTES**Saw action at running back in 45 career games (11 starts) for the Red Raiders…named 2010 and 2008 All-Big 12 honorable mention by the league's coaches and the Associated Press…ranks eighth on Tech's career rushing yardage list (2,501)...ranks ninth on Tech's career all-purpose yardage list (3,612)...tied for eighth place on Tech's career touchdowns list (32)…had three straight seasons with at least 1,000 all-purpose yards.
2010 SEASONPlayed in 13 games (11 starts), earning All-Big 12 honorable mention by the league's coaches…led the team with 177 carries and 816 yards (4.6 avg.) rushing, while averaging a team-high 62.8 yards per game on the ground...had five rushing touchdowns…caught 32 passes for 226 yards with three touchdowns...became the eighth Texas Tech player with 2,500 career rushing yards...posted third straight season with at least 1,000 all-purpose yards.
2009 SEASONSaw action in all 13 games…had 168 carries for 884 yards with 14 rushing touchdowns…added 57 receptions for 395 yards and one touchdown…capped the season with a 100-yard rushing performance in the Alamo Bowl win over Michigan State.
2008 SEASONSaw action in all 13 games…named All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention by the league's coaches and the Associated Press…had 758 rushing yards on 113 carries with seven rushing touchdowns…added 45 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown…averaged 6.7 yards per carry, the most for a Tech back since George Smith average 6.9 yards in 1972.
2007 SEASONRedshirted the entire season recovering from an Achilles injury.
2006 SEASONSaw action in six games before suffering a season-ending injury on the practice field in late October...had nine rushes for 43 yards and one touchdown…added six receptions for 41 yards.
HIGH SCHOOLAttended Midland High School in Midland, Texas…Texas Class 5A All-State first team selection...named to 5A Region I First Team and West Texas MVP (TexasHSFootball.com)... turned in 2,005 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns as a senior...also scored three receiving touchdowns...ranked third in state Class 5A in rushing yards and fourth in scoring...rushed for 823 yards on 133 attempts and scored six touchdowns during junior season...also caught 33 passes for 423 yards with six receiving touchdowns.
PERSONALMajored in communication studies…born 12/21/87 in Odessa, Texas...son of Joyce and Juan Batch.
Baron Batch Conference Call
Re: Texas Tech offense preparation for the professional league:It got me really well rounded. Playing at Tech I had to pick up the blitz, run the ball and also catch. So I think it polished me really well for the NFL.
Re: Coaches' interests in performance:They were impressed with how I picked up the blitz, and just liked the way I played. It was my favorite spot for sure, and I told a few people that's where I want to be. I'm just so happy it worked out the way it did.
Re: Strengths as a running back and role with the Steelers:I think I'm physical and that's my number one trait. If you watch me play, you see that I run extremely hard and I'm physical on contact. I think that's one of my biggest traits.
Re: Potential start as third-down back:I see myself as a third-down back, a special teams back, or whatever they want me to do.
Re: Interests other than football:Yes, absolutely. There are a lot of other things I do off the field. Off the field stuff is really important to me.
Re: Off-the-field activities:Well, I write. For about eight months, since the start of my senior year, I wrote an article one a week for two different papers. I wrote for the Midland paper, my hometown, and for the Lubbock paper. I do a lot of humanitarian stuff. I worked in Haiti and did a lot of stuff down there. But, I just like to help people. I like to use my platform to affect people in a positive way.
Re: Saved a life with a column:I can't take credit for that. It was just a little glimpse of me getting to see, out of the business of God, and that was pretty cool. I can't take credit for that.
Can you take credit for running down Curtis Brown on that interception?I can take credit for that one. What's funny is that we were all on the same visit up there, watching that clip together when they pulled it up.
What did you or he say?Well I was watching it with the special team's coaches and they brought that up and asked if I was fast. Well I watched this one play, and they brought it up, and they were like, "Oh, that's Curtis Brown. He's on the same visit." So they called him in and it was pretty funny.
Re: Special teams:Absolutely, I think my mold kind of fit well for the special teams player. I knew coming in, everyone told me you're going to have to do special teams, and I'm happy to. I'm just so happy that they took a shot on me. It's going to be well worth it.
Re: Disappointment with lockout being back on:Well, just knowing that I'm eventually going to have a place where I know I'm going to go is good enough for me. I can't control any of that, but I'm just happy to be a Steeler.
Re: Challenges for being a late-round guy:I have the same mentality I would if I would have gotten picked mid-round or early on. I'm going to have to come in and prove myself and more importantly I'm going to have to better myself and better whatever team I'm on and the people around me.
Re: Preparation if lockout is lengthy:I'll just stay in shape for whenever the lockout ends. I will just make sure I'm in the best shape I can be in when I roll in. I'll give myself the best chance I can to compete.
Would you like somebody to slip you a playbook if they could?If they could, but I don't think that is going to happen just yet.
