Luke Barker was in his mother’s belly the first time he took in a Chico State baseball game. Next season he’ll be in the cardinal and white. A fixture at Nettleton Stadium since he was “this big,” (insert old lady motioning low to the ground here) Barker, now 6-foot-3, signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball for the Wildcats Wednesday in a ceremony at Pleasant Valley High School.
Barker, the son of Chico State Athletic Director Anita Barker and Chico State Head Athletic Trainer Scott Barker, chose Chico State over a number of other collegiate baseball programs in Northern California. Performances like he had as a senior at Pleasant Valley this season tend to get that kind of attention.
Barker went 7-2 with a 0.99 ERA and a save while leading the Vikings to a 28-3 record, a No. 22 ranking in the state, and the North Section title this season. The lanky right-hander twirled six complete games, struck out 58, and walked just five in 56-plus innings. He allowed only 30 hits and just three extra-base hits. He also fired a no-hitter on March 9 to outduel Shasta High School’s Dallas Chadwick, who was selected in the 18th round of this year’s draft, and a five-inning no-hitter against cross-town rival Chico High School on April 22.
“It’s definitely a dream come true,” said Barker. “I’ve been a part of the Chico State family my whole life. I’ve watched hundreds of Chico State baseball games in my lifetime. Now I can take the next step and contribute something back. It’s really special.
“Some people get caught up in the Division I, Division II thing. But what I looked at when I was deciding where to play was the level of baseball being played. I chose Chico State because the baseball that gets played at Nettleton Stadium is played at a very high level.”
Barker has been playing at a very high level himself. He earned First Team All-Eastern Athletic League honors and an invitational to the Lions All-Star Game following his senior season. And he was the Pitcher of the Year for the Chico Nuts American Legion team last summer, and this summer is 1-0 with a 3.50 ERA through eight innings of work.
When Barker wasn’t on the mound for the Vikings, he was contributing with the bat as the team’s third baseman. He hit .360 with a .558 slugging percentage and 36 RBI in 29 games and notched eight doubles and three home runs in 88 at-bats.
As a junior, Barker went 5-0 with a 2.03 ERA to help led the Vikings to a 27-5 record and the Northern Section title. In 35 innings of work, Barker fanned 28, walked four, and allowed 35 hits.
“Luke’s been on our radar for a few years now. He’s gotten bigger and stronger to put himself in a position to play at a high level,” said Chico State Head Coach Dave Taylor. “His ability to locate on both halves on the plate with his fastball and throw his off-speed pitches in fastball counts is impressive. He’s the type of guy we’ve won with in the past and we plan to win with in the future. We’re really excited about his future here.
“The nice thing for us is that, not only can we see the talent and know he can compete at this level, but he’s a known quantity in terms of his make up. We know Luke has intangibles that are hard to find in terms of his character and work ethic. We also know that he understands what it takes to compete and succeed at the national level since I’ve been seeing him at the yard since he was four years old.”
One moment in all of those years left an especially lasting impression on Barker.
“There’s a long list of memories but I remember one specifically,” said Barker. “I don’t remember what year it was but (Chico State all-time home run leader) Rich Gregory was still playing. I remember him coming up into the stands after the game and giving me a baseball. I didn’t let go of it for a week.”
Now he can do the same for someone else.
