Early Years
Travis Baltz was born on November 18, 1988 in Toledo, Ohio to parents Jim and Debbie Baltz. He grew up in Waterville, Ohio and attended Anthony Wayne High School where he played football, soccer, basketball, and bowling. In football, he played as a punter and placekicker. As a punter, he averaged 42 yards per punt in his junior year and 40 yards per punt in his senior year. As a placekicker in his junior year, he made good five of nine field goal attempts. As a senior placekicker, he made good five of six field goal attempts and 78% of his kickoffs went for touchbacks.
As a junior in 2005, he was named an All-Toledo Blade punter. As both a senior and junior, he was named an all-state and Associated Press honorable mention All-Ohio Division II punter. As a senior in 2006, he was named a first-team all-district and first-team All-Northern Lakes League punter, and first-team all-conference and All-Toledo Blade placekicker.
Baltz was not actively recruited out of high school. He wished to attend Maryland and contacted special teams coach Ray Rychleski, whom he provided with film footage. Baltz's desire to attend Maryland was solidified after he visited its College Park campus, and the nearby cities of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Baltz attended summer camp at Maryland where he received praise from former Maryland kicker Nick Novak, but he still was not extended an offer. He considered Eastern Michigan, Northwestern, and Ohio State, the latter of which had shown interest and requested film. He considered many schools in the country, with academics and football as the primary criteria. His father recommended giving up on Maryland, but Baltz said, "Every school could have offered me and I still would have chosen Maryland." Eventually, Maryland did extend a scholarship offer to Baltz.
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