TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Former Chico State pitcher Luke Barker had been eyeing the California Winter League (CWL) for months, hoping to use it as a springboard into professional baseball. It took Barker just one side session to garner the attention he was hoping for.
 
The Traverse City Beach Bums of the Frontier League offered Barker a contract before he made a single CWL appearance. He signed the contract in the bullpen while the game was still going following his first start.
 
"We all showed up and had our introductory meeting," said Barker. "The pitchers were sent down the line to throw bullpen. I was one of the first to throw, and right after I finished the Traverse City manager (Dan Rohn) introduced himself. The next day I had just come out of the locker room and he handed me the contract right then. I hadn't even thrown an inning yet."
 
After Barker took a couple of days to consider the offer, and then went out and struck out five in three innings of one-hit work in his first appearance, Rohn was anxious for an answer.
 
"As soon as I finished he came to the dugout asked if I had made up my mind yet," said Barker. "I told him I had and he said 'Lets go to the bullpen and get your name on that.' It was pretty cool."
 
Rohn, a former Major Leaguer and a three-time Triple-A Manager of the Year, plans to use Barker out of the bullpen.
 
"Luke is a big strong right-handed pitcher with a good action sinking fastball, a tight slider and splitter," said Rohn. "He should fortify the back-end of the bullpen for us."
 
Barker had his most successful season at Chico State as the team's closer, earning First Team All-America honors after collecting a school-record 18 saves as a junior.
 
He finished his Chico State career ranked second in the program's history in appearances (72), third in saves (18), fourth in strikeouts (196) and innings pitched (257.0), and 10^th in victories (16).
 
In those 72 appearances (26 starts), Barker compiled a 2.91 ERA. As a senior, he was an All-West Region and First Team All-CCAA honoree selection after going 4-3 with a 1.73 ERA in 11 starts.
 
Traverse City is on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay, which is part of Lake Michigan. The Beach Bums are the defending champions of the Frontier League, which is the oldest currently running independent professional baseball league in the nation.
 
Former Wildcats Kagen Hopkins and Austin Prott are also under contract to play in the Frontier League in 2016: Hopkins for the Schaumburg Boomers and Prott the Lake Erie Crushers.
 
I talked to (Hopkins and Prott) and they both have great things to say about the league," Barker said. "They said there are lots of big crowds and lots of cool places to play."
 
Barker will finish the California Winter League as a member of Rohn's team, the Washington Blue Sox, after switching teams earlier today. In four appearances for the Palm Springs Power, Barker was 0-0 with a 1.40 ERA. He has struck out 18 and allowed only one walk and six hits in 10 innings.
 
At the close of the CWL, Barker will return to Chico as an assistant coach for the baseball team before leaving for Michigan in April. Opening day for the Beach Bums is May 13.