Diamond will give way to gridiron

WESTWOOD -- John Barker, the top pitcher on Xaverian Brothers High School's top-ranked baseball team in Eastern Massachusetts, was hoping to pitch at the collegiate level next season at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

But that all changed in April for the two-sport star from Avon.

Barker, who also kicked for the Hawks football team, visited Ohio State University for its spring game April 23, and it altered everything.

He is giving up baseball to play football in the Big Ten Conference.

"I love both sports, but the visit to Ohio State blew me away," said Barker.

It's not that he hasn't been on a college visit.

"I've been all over," said Barker, ranked among the top kickers by several national recruiting services. "I've visited a lot of schools, like Rutgers [in New Jersey] and FAU [Florida Atlantic University]. Locally, I've been to Northeastern and, of course, UMass."

The reason he originally planned to attend UMass was baseball. "I would have been able to play both sports," said Barker.

Nevertheless, Ohio State has always had a place in Barker's heart. "My father is from Ohio, and ever since I can remember we would watch them on television and root for the Buckeyes. They were always our team," said Barker.

Ohio State is one of the premier programs in the nation. Last season, the Buckeyes were 11-2 and beat Kansas State, 35-28, in the Fiesta Bowl. In the recent National Football League draft, a school-record 14 Ohio State players were taken.

In fact, it is because of a former Ohio State player, Tim Fox, who played for the New England Patriots, that Barker is headed to the Big Ten.

"He is the father of one of my teammates [Chris Fox] at Xaverian, so he's seen me play. He's friends with [Ohio State head coach] Jim Tressel and called him and arranged the visit."

It was a treat from the time he arrived in Columbus. "Just driving along the highway and seeing the huge Ohio State stadium was impressive. But going inside was spectacular," said Barker.

He attended the spring football game along with 47,073 other fans and toured the rest of the university's modern facilities. There was a postgame picnic and, by that time, Barker was sold on becoming a Buckeye.

Barker knows he won't be kicking in September for Ohio State.

Two-time All-America kicker Mike Nugent returns for his final season. Instead of wasting a season on the bench, Barker will be what he calls a "gray shirt."

"I'll go out there this summer and work out with the team. Under NCAA rules, I can practice with the team until the start of the season, and then I can't practice until I enroll." He plans to register as a student starting in January, giving up a fifth year of eligibility and an athletic scholarship.

He said he will miss baseball, "but kicking sets me apart as an athlete."

This is not to slight his pitching skills. There is no question about his ability. Barker has a 4-1 record this season, including a no-hitter against Waltham.

Barker's only loss, a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to St. John's Prep, was a game he calls "the best I've pitched this season." The only run scored came in the ninth inning. The batter reached on an error, stole second, and scored on a botched double-play.

Barker is a transplant from Florida. He grew up playing baseball, football, and golf in Naples, and as a youngster finished third three years in a row in the statewide Punt, Pass and Kick competition.

"Down in Florida it is different; sports come first and school is second," said Barker. During his freshman year, he got a D on his report card, and his family decided it was time for him to go some place where education came before athletics.

So, before his sophomore year, Barker's family moved to Avon and examined his educational options.

"We were looking at Bishop Feehan, Catholic Memorial, and Xaverian," said Barker. "Feehan was my first choice because it was closer and they have girls at the school. But they stopped their busing service and I couldn't drive yet, so there was no way for me to get there.

"I think the reason my dad wanted me to go to Xaverian was, he didn't want me playing quarterback. I played quarterback in Florida, and my father heard that Xaverian had a good quarterback [Zack Asack] whose father played in the NFL. He just wanted me to kick."

Barker has kicked a 60-yarder in practice and routinely hits 30-yarders in games. He will be kicking for the South squad in the annual Shiners All-Star Game at Bentley College on June 18.

It will be his last game for more than a year, until he is a member of the Ohio State varsity in fall 2005.