The Power of Choice for Audrey Baer
10/10/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
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Choices.
For USC Upstate senior midfielder Audrey Baer there have been plenty of them—some forced on her, some she had to make herself. Injuries, doubts, and the pandemic all contributed to shaping her journey. And yet, each choice and every disappointment brought her to this moment... finishing her Spartan career as one of the program’s most resilient and reliable players.
Baer, a native of Worthington, Ohio, didn’t have the most straightforward recruiting process. COVID-19 restrictions reduced roster spots across the country and a torn ACL in high school left her unsure whether she even wanted to continue playing.
“I kind of battled with the idea of walking away,” Baer recalled. “But once I started practicing again, I realized I was just happier. I felt more like myself when I was playing. That’s when I knew I couldn’t let it go.”
It was USC. Upstate’s persistence in recruiting that kept the door open. Coach had first recruited Baer while at another school, and when he took over at USC Upstate, he continued to reach out. His honesty about the work it would take to earn a spot resonated with her.
“The coaching staff didn’t sugarcoat anything,” Baer said. “It was always black and white. You’re going to come in, work hard, and if you earn it, you’ll get your chance. That was something that really stuck out to me.”
That straightforward message—and a visit that sealed her decision—brought Baer eight hours south to Spartanburg.
Since stepping on campus in 2022, Baer has been a steady contributor for the Spartans. She made an immediate impact as a freshman, logging over 600 minutes while picking up her first career assist against VMI.
Her sophomore season was a breakout. She started 18 matches, scored game-winning goals over UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb, and tallied a crucial assist in the Big South Semifinal against High Point. For her performance, she was named to the Big South All-Tournament Team.
As a junior, she fought through another challenge—this time a rare Lisfranc foot injury that required surgery and sidelined her for half the season. The setback forced her home to Ohio for rehab, where she leaned on family support while finding new ways to lead from afar.
“It was really hard to be away from my team and watch them succeed without feeling like I played a role,” Baer admitted. “But it also gave me perspective. I grew closer to other teammates who were injured, and I learned to celebrate small victories together in rehab. It gave me a new role, even if I wasn’t on the field.”
Now in her senior season, Baer has surpassed 3,000 career minutes in an Upstate uniform, appearing in more than 50 matches and starting nearly 40 of them.
Healthy again, Baer has already logged over 600 minutes this fall, recording an assist against Queens and providing her trademark stability in the midfield.
Her personal goals are straightforward: to stay healthy, contribute in whatever way she can, and help the Spartans chase another championship.
“As a team, we want to win the regular season and tournament again and get back to the NCAA Tournament,” Baer said. “We haven’t stopped talking about that game last year. We want another shot.”
Interim head coach Mark Laudenslager praised Baer for the resilience and character she’s shown throughout her Spartan career. “Aud embodies the grit and tenacity that are so important to our team culture,” Laudenslager said. “She has dealt with injuries throughout her career and has fought her way back onto the field each time. On and off the field, she represents our program and the university with grace and humility.”
Off the field, the business major isn’t quite sure what comes next after graduation—and she’s okay with that.
“Honestly, I don’t know yet,” Baer said with a smile. “TBD. One day at a time.”
For Baer, the choices she made—whether to push through rehab, whether to commit far from home, whether to give soccer one more shot—have defined her career. And each one, difficult as it may have been, has kept her connected to the game she loves.
“I don’t think I could have let soccer go,” she said. “It’s been too big a part of me.”
Now, as she closes out her Spartan career, Audrey Baer stands as proof that the hardest choices often lead to the most meaningful moments.
