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Maybe it’s the Chicago Cubs hat he wears at the poker table or his online screen name "basebaldy" that gives it away, but the former UW-Whitewater star admits he misses his days on the diamond.

"Those will go down as some of the best days of my life," Baldwin said of his time with the Warhawks. "That program is awesome. The friendships and the lessons learned. The road trips, the competition.

"That program did so much for me."

Now Baldwin, a Beaver Dam native, is giving back to the Warhawks, thanks to one of the biggest gambles of his life.

Having traded his glove for a deck of cards — he’s now a professional poker player — Baldwin donated $200,000 toward the renovation of Prucha Field, a gift that will provide new lights and ensure Whitewater will host the 2010 NCAA Division III Midwest regional this spring.

It’s a present Baldwin felt he owed to the program.

"I wouldn’t have had nearly the success I’ve had in poker if it weren’t for the Whitewater baseball program," said Baldwin, a senior captain on the 2005 Whitewater team that won the national championship. "The program has taught me so much in terms of hard work and preparation and how it can pay off for you.

"I feel really grateful for that and grateful that I’m able to give back."

So is Whitewater athletic director Paul Plinske.

"We knew we could host (the regional) if we had lights, and we were quoted a price of $200,000, and Eric said, ‘I’m in,’" Plinske said. "I think what inspired Eric to do this was that he wanted other athletes to experience what he did, and he wanted to give back so that was possible.

"And we’re so thankful for that because we want to bring in outside competition and be a regional platform for national competition."

Big risk, big reward

Competition is something Baldwin, 26, has thrived on since his playing days. In his two years as an outfielder for the Warhawks, Baldwin, a 2006 graduate, batted .341, hit 23 home runs and drove in 113 runs. In his senior year, he hit .356 with 13 homers, 70 RBIs and 17 doubles.

But a chance to pursue a pro baseball career was not in the cards for Baldwin.

"(Baseball) was my dream until my senior season. I realized I wasn’t athletic enough to make it as an outfielder, and that’s when I realized I probably didn’t have a chance to get drafted," Baldwin said.

"After that 2005 season, I had a year left to get my degree in psychology and I had a ton of extra time on my hands since I wasn’t in baseball anymore. So I decided to focus on poker instead and see if I could make a living doing it."

The risk has paid off for Baldwin in a big way. He has won nearly $2.6 million in his four years as a professional poker player, more than half of that coming in 2009 when he won $1.5 million and was named CardPlayer Magazine’s Player of the Year.

He has 91 career cashes and 10 titles, including a coveted World Series of Poker bracelet last year after winning a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament.

"I absolutely love baseball and would rather be making this kind of money in the pros," Baldwin said, "but poker has been a nice replacement."

Grateful Warhawks

The response to his gift among former Warhawks players has been remarkable, Baldwin said.

"Everybody was texting me, e-mailing me, calling me saying thanks and how cool it was," said Baldwin, who signed a six-figure endorsement deal with the gambling Web site UltimateBet.net last year. "I didn’t do it for the recognition. I don’t care about that. But it was cool to have some old-time Warhawks e-mail me saying thanks."

Added Plinske: "It’s pretty special for us to have someone perform so well professionally but still remember where it all started."

Baldwin, who started playing poker after watching the movie "Rounders," admits to not catching many Whitewater baseball games since he’s moved to Las Vegas. But he has a feeling that might change come spring.

That is, if he’s not playing poker.

"It would be awesome to see a game under the lights (in Whitewater)," Baldwin said. "Hopefully that regional doesn’t coincide with the World Series of Poker."