STANFORD, Calif. – Corey Baird is the first member of Stanford's vaunted senior class to solidify his professional plans. Baird signed a Homegrown Player contract with Real Salt Lake on Friday.
"Corey had an exceptional collegiate career and was an exciting attacking player," Stanford head coach Jeremy Gunn said. "His level of creativity was unequaled as he shifted roles between wide midfield, center midfield, as a free roaming number 10, and as an out-and-out striker. He added a certain swagger on the ball and guided others on the pitch with his intelligence."
Baird was one of six seniors that powered the Cardinal to the pinnacle of men's college soccer. Winners of the last three national championships, Stanford also claimed four Pac-12 titles and posted a 65-10-13 overall record (.813) during his four seasons on The Farm.
He tallied 16 goals in 83 career appearances to go along with 30 assists, tied with Roger Levesque for third in program history. Baird's 13 assists during Stanford's first championship run in 2015 were the most for a Cardinal player in 24 years. He had a career-high six goals as a senior despite missing five early-season matches due to injury and assisted on seven others.
A four-time All-Pac-12 selection, Baird was a first teamer as a junior and senior and second teamer as a freshman and sophomore. He was named to the College Cup All-Tournament teams in both 2015 and 2016 and this past year earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region first team. He was a NSCAA All-Far West Region second team performer in 2014 and was also a freshman All-American according to Soccer America and College Soccer News.
