Jacksonville State University Athletics

OUTLOOK: Has really developed into a leader, one the coaching staff relies on heavily…as a junior, developed into the hitter the JSU coaches knew she was capable of being when they signed her…an all-conference catcher, but worked some at shortstop in the fall and showed signs of being able to play both positions if needed.

2008: Started all 56 games for the Gamecocks as a junior…led the team and ranked second in the OVC and 34th nationally with 15 home runs, seven more than her career total entering the season…hit .296 with 15 homers, 45 RBI, eight doubles, a .629 slugging percentage and a .973 fielding percentage to earn First Team All-OVC honors…her batting average also jumped, finishing the year 66 points higher than her previous high…committed just eight errors behind the plate in 300 chances…hit .400 with a home run and three RBI in the OVC Tournament to earn all-tournament honors…hit safely in 35 games, including 12 multi-hit games…homered twice against Middle Tennessee on April 15 to tie the school record for home runs in a game…drove in four runs four times, including a grand slam in the season opener at Alabama, a weekend that earned her OVC Player of the Week honors on Feb. 11…hit .429 with the bases loaded…went 2-for-3 with a homer, a double and four RBI against Tennessee State on March 30.

2007: Appeared in 49 games for the Gamecocks as a sophomore, starting 48 of them behind the plate…missed a stretch of games in the middle of the season with a back injury…hit .233 with four home runs and 15 RBI, also tallying two doubles, 16 walks and a .315 on base percentage…was tied for second in the OVC after picking off four runners…led the team with a .987 fielding percentage after committing just four errors in 309 chances…had three sacrifice bunts and one sac fly…hit .302 with runners on base and .571 with runners in scoring position with less than two out…recorded seven multi-hit games, including two three-hit games (vs. Samford on April 11 and at Tennessee State on April 14)…drove in two runs four times.

2006: Played in 55 of the Gamecocks’ 58 games and started 51 as a true freshman, primarily as the team’s catcher…hit .224 with four home runs, 17 RBI, five doubles and a .294 on base percentage…was second on the squad with a .988 fielding percentage after committing just five errors in 405 chances…drove in a season-high four runs, doubled and belted her first career home run in a 2-for-3 effort against Tennessee State on March 18…hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning against Austin Peay on March 25 that erased a 2-0 deficit and lifted JSU to a win…recorded a season-high three hits and scored two runs against UT Martin in the OVC Tournament on May 12.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played six years for head coach Brian Hess at Alexandria High School in Alexandria, Ala….hit .536 as a senior to earn first-team all-state honors for the third-straight season…was also a first-team all-district and all-region selection as a sophomore, junior and senior with the Valley Cubs…led AHS to the 2004 Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 4A State Title…a career .578 hitter for the Valley Cubs, was a Super 12 selection in 2004 and 2005 and a Diamond Dazzlers honoree in 2005…was a teammate of current Gamecock Amy Brown at AHS…played travel softball for the Birmingham Vipers and the LS Xpress…hit .420 during the summer of 2005 for the Vipers…also lettered in volleyball and basketball at AHS.

PERSONAL: Born on Jan. 23, 1987, in Anniston, Ala….the daughter of Butch and Donya Barker…has one brother, Neal, and one sister, Amy…father Butch played football and baseball at Jacksonville State, while brother Neal played basketball for the Gamecocks…sister Amy played softball at Snead State…graduated from AHS with a 3.68 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society…was featured in Who’s Who Among American High School Students…majoring in marketing at JSU.