Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Former Houston standout Caleb Barker (’14) rejoined the program as assistant coach on August 24, 2016, and served in the role through the 2019 season.
In his role, Barker coached catchers and assisted with the Cougars' offensive development.
In 2019, Houston finished 32-24 in 2019, its seventh straight season with at least 32 wins and swept the Don Sanders Cup from Sam Houston State, the program’s first time to win the trophy in its three-year history.
Senior first baseman Davis continued to rewrite the record books in 2019. Already Houston’s all-time career home run and RBI leader after his junior season, he passed Brandon Caraway (82, 1997-00) for the all-time career extra-base hit record with a double in the series finale against Northwestern State on Feb. 17. With a home run at DBU on March 17, Davis passed Brandon Caraway (435, 1997-00) for the career total bases mark.
On May 16 at UCF, Davis, who was named Midseason Perfect Game/Rawlings All-America Second Team, recorded his 52nd career double to pass David Villar (51, USF, 2016-18) for The American Athletic Conference career record. Davis closed his career with 53 home runs, 107 extra-base hits, 223 RBI and 503 total bases.
At the conclusion of the regular, Davis was named to The American Second Team and later to the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Central All-Region Second Team.
In the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft, junior third baseman Jared Triolo was selected 72nd overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Competitive Balance Round B, while Davis was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th Round (Pick 587).
In 2018, Barker helped Houston to an American Athletic Conference regular-season title and an NCAA Chapel Hill Regional berth in his first full season as an assistant coach with the Cougars.
He helped coached the Cougars to a 38-25 overall record and a 16-8 mark in league play.
Under his direction, Houston hit .266 on the year with 37 home runs, 101 doubles and 11 triples.
Houston slugger Joe Davis broke the Houston all-time home run record by hitting 13 home runs in 2018 to tally 35 total in his career. Davis was a Second Team All-Conference honoree and hit .318 and drove in a league-leading 62 RBI.
Third baseman Jared Triolo remained a consistent threat in the offensive lineup for Houston, starting all 63 games at third base and finishing with a .344 average and 85 hits. Triolo reached base in all but three games during the 2018 season.
The Cougars ranked second in the league and notched a .976 fielding percentage for second-best all-time in program history.
Four Cougars earned All-Conference honors (Trey Cumbie, Aaron Fletcher, Lael Lockhart Jr., Joe Davis) and three were selected in the MLB First Year Player Draft (Cumbie, Fletcher, Joey Pulido).
In 2017, Barker helped the Cougars capture the American Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 15-9 league record and won the tournament title after going 4-0 in Clearwater, Fla., becoming the first team since 2000 to win both championships in the same year.
As an assistant, Barker saw the Cougars notch their 14th 40+ win season in program history and third in the last four years with a 42-21 overall record.
Houston was rewarded for its strong play throughout the 2017 season by being named one of 16 schools to host an NCAA Regional at Schroeder Park. The hosting opportunity was the fourth time in program history and second in last three years for the Cougars.
Helping lead the offensive development, Barker watched Houston hit 60 home runs -- the most since 71 in 2006 and saw Jake Scheiner, the American leader in home runs, become a consensus All-American and the league’s Player of the Year.
Prior to rejoining Houston’s program, Barker spent the 2016 season as an assistant coach at Grayson County College. At Grayson, Barker helped lead the Vikings to a 42-15 overall record, a Conference Runner-Up nod and a Region V qualifier.
Under Barker's guidance, Grayson CC hit .354 as a team and slugged .551 with 59 home runs and catcher Raymond Henderson was selected by the Houston Astros in the 22nd Round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
A 2014 graduate of the University of Houston, Barker earned his degree in organizational leadership and supervision with a minor in health and was a two-year letterwinner for the Cougars in 2013 and 2014 after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Grayson CC.
Barker was a 2014 First Team All-American Athletic Conference honoree and helped the Cougars to a Baton Rouge Regional Championship title and its first Conference Championship since 2008.
As the starting catcher, Barker appeared in 65 games and started 62 in 2014. He was rock-solid behind the plate, fielding .996 with just two errors and threw out 30 runners attempting to steal. He was a bright spot in the Cougar lineup during the postseason, tallying six hits in NCAA play and drove in two key RBI in a come-from-behind win over LSU.
Barker was a two-time Johnny Bench Award Watch List honoree and was named to the Conference All-Academic Team, while earning a prestigious C-USA Academic Medal in 2013.
The Keller, Texas native is a graduate of Keller High School.
