Wayne State University Athletics

Naif Baidoon, a four-year varsity letter winner in baseball (1972-1975) at Wayne State University, has been selected for induction into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame. Baidoon, a graduate of Detroit Western High and a native of southwest Detroit, was WSU's 1975 Most Valuable Player after leading the team in batting (.361), slugging (.639), runs scored (28), hits (44), home runs (6), doubles (12), extra base hits (20), RBIs (25), and total bases (78). He set WSU single-season records in doubles, extra base hits and total bases and tied the school homer standard. He also tied for the team lead in triples (2), while compiling a .433 on-base percentage. Baidoon earned First Team NCAA District IV College Division All-Star Team honors in 1975 as a second baseman which automatically qualified him for the honorable mention College Division All-America team. For his Tartar career, Baidoon ranked in the top three in nine offensive categories at the end of his collegiate career. He was second in hits (111), RBIs (64), doubles (19), extra base hits (33), and total bases (163), while placing third in at bats (394), runs (65), home runs (9), and games played (142). A consummate team player, Baidoon began his career at third base but moved to second base as a senior when injuries struck. He helped the 1975 squad set the school record for double plays turned in a season. A versatile performer, he played in 35 of 39 games as a freshman in 1972 seeing time at third base, second base, left field and right field. The following year he played third base in 32 of the team's 37 contests. In his junior campaign of 1974, Baidoon helped the Tartars to a then-school record 20 victories, while playing in 35 of the team's 40 games. In 1976, Baidoon graduated from WSU with a liberal arts degree. He went on to coach the junior varsity football team at Western High School and was later employed as a millwright. In 1985, Baidoon earned an accounting degree from Madonna University. In 1987, Baidoon became a certified public accountant and was employed by the Defense Contract Audit Agency in Philadelphia. In 2003, Baidoon also obtained a master's degree from the Denver College for Financial Planning. Naif and his wife Sherrie live in East Lansing with their children Caroline and Nicholas.