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University of Houston Athletics
Bark at the Park
5/16/2019 9:26:00 PM | Softball
*Editor's note: This story was written by Houston Communications Student Assistant Kaitlyn Niver*
Ever since she stepped foot on the campus of the University of Houston, senior outfielder Sarah Barker has been the epitome of how hard work can translate into success. With her roots coming from Beach City, Texas, Barker embraces the "Blue Collar" attitude the comes with being a Texas native and that attitude is how she has balanced attending graduate school, while working towards being named the 2019 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Yet, along with her triumphs on the field, Barker's success off the diamond is exemplified with a piece of jewelry that Houstonians can only dream of – a 2017 World Series Ring. As part of her studies in the classroom, Barker landed an internship with the Astros in the Guest Services Department and instantly became a good luck charm for the team.
"I wanted to go towards a path in Sports Administration, so the Astros seemed liked a good place to start," Barker said. "I came at a good time because they won the World Series that year. Overall, it was a good experience. I got to be around a lot of the players during batting practice and talk with them. I worked in the Diamond Club, so I met a lot of good people."
Growing up with a family involved in baseball, the bat and ball sports have always been in Barker's blood. Playing catch with her dad became a huge influence on her jumpstarting her softball career and says her dad is proud to see her excel in the sport.
Barker's collegiate journey started at North Texas before transferring to Houston in 2016. Aside from having an "awesome coaching staff" and facilities that allowed her to work on her game year-round, Barker says becoming a Cougar was the right fit because Houston is closer to home, something she values greatly.
Due to NCAA transfer rules, Barker was forced to sit out her first year on campus, which was hard because she put in the same work and the same training as everyone else but couldn't compete. She didn't understand why she had to stay in school for five years instead of four, but now says that it paid off and was supposed to happen.
Over the course of her time as a Cougar, Barker has become a model student-athlete, finding her name on the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team since 2015 and becoming an NFCA All-American Scholar-Athete in 2018. Her work ethic in the classroom and passion for the game on the field has made her an essential part to this team, now earning a spot in the NCAA Regionals for the second year in a row, giving her another opportunity to compete with her teammates.
Barker's teammates have become more than just teammates to her. In her senior video, she made a shout out junior outfielder Lindsey Stewart, saying how they've been each other's rocks throughout their time together. The two use each other for moral support, giving encouragement and helping the other improve their game.
When asked about the video, Stewart felt honored and shocked.
"We always have each other's back," Barker said. "When one of us has a bad day, the other one says 'You're fine. You're awesome. Just clear your head.' We always pick the other up when we're down and we're very coachable with each other."
As the Cougars get ready for the postseason, Barker is excited with how close she'll be to home so her friends, family, and fans can come support the team. Despite having the American Athletic Conference Championship canceled due to inclement weather, Barker and her teammates were confident on making a deep run in the Conference Championship, but now have high hopes on "Winning the State." By not playing last weekend, Houston has had time to rest up and are ready to head to Austin.
Houston Head Coach Kristin Vesely explains the team is peaking at the right time, having won 13 of their past 16 games, and Barker agrees. With their 37-17 record this season, Vesely is confident in her team and Barker's abilities in these upcoming games, saying they have come as far as they have by "controlling the controllables."
"This is the best time of the year for the team to get hot and for everybody to play together," Barker said. "I think we've done a good job of that throughout the season, but this is the best time of year to really get hot and get going."
Ever since she stepped foot on the campus of the University of Houston, senior outfielder Sarah Barker has been the epitome of how hard work can translate into success. With her roots coming from Beach City, Texas, Barker embraces the "Blue Collar" attitude the comes with being a Texas native and that attitude is how she has balanced attending graduate school, while working towards being named the 2019 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Yet, along with her triumphs on the field, Barker's success off the diamond is exemplified with a piece of jewelry that Houstonians can only dream of – a 2017 World Series Ring. As part of her studies in the classroom, Barker landed an internship with the Astros in the Guest Services Department and instantly became a good luck charm for the team.
"I wanted to go towards a path in Sports Administration, so the Astros seemed liked a good place to start," Barker said. "I came at a good time because they won the World Series that year. Overall, it was a good experience. I got to be around a lot of the players during batting practice and talk with them. I worked in the Diamond Club, so I met a lot of good people."
Growing up with a family involved in baseball, the bat and ball sports have always been in Barker's blood. Playing catch with her dad became a huge influence on her jumpstarting her softball career and says her dad is proud to see her excel in the sport.
Barker's collegiate journey started at North Texas before transferring to Houston in 2016. Aside from having an "awesome coaching staff" and facilities that allowed her to work on her game year-round, Barker says becoming a Cougar was the right fit because Houston is closer to home, something she values greatly.
Due to NCAA transfer rules, Barker was forced to sit out her first year on campus, which was hard because she put in the same work and the same training as everyone else but couldn't compete. She didn't understand why she had to stay in school for five years instead of four, but now says that it paid off and was supposed to happen.
Over the course of her time as a Cougar, Barker has become a model student-athlete, finding her name on the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team since 2015 and becoming an NFCA All-American Scholar-Athete in 2018. Her work ethic in the classroom and passion for the game on the field has made her an essential part to this team, now earning a spot in the NCAA Regionals for the second year in a row, giving her another opportunity to compete with her teammates.
Barker's teammates have become more than just teammates to her. In her senior video, she made a shout out junior outfielder Lindsey Stewart, saying how they've been each other's rocks throughout their time together. The two use each other for moral support, giving encouragement and helping the other improve their game.
When asked about the video, Stewart felt honored and shocked.
"We always have each other's back," Barker said. "When one of us has a bad day, the other one says 'You're fine. You're awesome. Just clear your head.' We always pick the other up when we're down and we're very coachable with each other."
As the Cougars get ready for the postseason, Barker is excited with how close she'll be to home so her friends, family, and fans can come support the team. Despite having the American Athletic Conference Championship canceled due to inclement weather, Barker and her teammates were confident on making a deep run in the Conference Championship, but now have high hopes on "Winning the State." By not playing last weekend, Houston has had time to rest up and are ready to head to Austin.
Houston Head Coach Kristin Vesely explains the team is peaking at the right time, having won 13 of their past 16 games, and Barker agrees. With their 37-17 record this season, Vesely is confident in her team and Barker's abilities in these upcoming games, saying they have come as far as they have by "controlling the controllables."
"This is the best time of the year for the team to get hot and for everybody to play together," Barker said. "I think we've done a good job of that throughout the season, but this is the best time of year to really get hot and get going."
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
OF
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