ARLINGTON — When longtime Lakewood softball coach Steve Barker retired following the 2014 season, he left an imposing legacy.
In 23 seasons, Barker guided the Cougars to 291 wins, seven league championships, two district titles and four state placings, including a pair of third-place finishes.
Add those numbers to his 12 seasons at Arlington — where he started the softball program in 1980 and won 167 games, including two state championships (1984 and 1986) — and Barker’s career achievements are hall-of-fame worthy. He was inducted into the Washington State Softball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006.
To replace Barker, Lakewood hired one of its own, Cougar alum Travis Boortz, who coached football alongside Barker from 2001-05, and was a volunteer assistant with the softball program the past two seasons.
Boortz and Barker’s families are longtime friends, so if anyone understands Barker’s legacy, it’s Boortz.
“He’s definitely a huge mentor of mine,” Boortz said. “I’ve looked up to him a long time. He’s a father figure that I want to be on and off the field. I loved the way he handled the kids … whether it be boys or girls. He’s just been a big role model of mine and I just kind of want to follow in his footsteps and do the things that he’s done to be the best.”
Boortz said many of Barker’s coaching strategies will stay in place. One change he’s implemented is a strength-and-conditioning program.
“We’ve been doing it three days a week and they’re absolutely loving it,” Boortz said of his players. “That’s something in the past that (Barker) has never done. I feel that I’m educated in that background to where I can take the girls in the weight room and start teaching them how to get stronger, faster and quicker and learning how to lift weights.”
Senior pitcher Hailey Malakowski said she’s already seeing the results.
“It’s been kind of a butt kicking, but it’s fun,” she said. “I feel stronger over these past few weeks. … I feel like I’d be able to hit the ball farther and pitch better. I feel like it’s a good thing he brought to the program.”
Malakowski, along with senior third baseman Terah Barrio and senior twins Paige and Peyton Cook, who play center field and second base, respectively, as well as sisters Kylie Lopez, a junior catcher, and Carmen Lopez, a freshman infielder, give the Cougars a formidable base to build on.
“Those six are a really good group,” Boortz said. “They’re really going to help us compete.”
After a few rough seasons, Barker led the Cougars within a game of the state tournament in each of the past three seasons. Confident things were headed in the right direction, he decided it was time to step aside.
“It was like mission accomplished,” he said. “I can walk out and feel good about leaving the cupboard full rather than bare.”
Malakowski said adjusting to a new coach has been a challenge, but one she and her teammates have enjoyed.
“It’s been different, but it’s been a good different,” she said. “We’ve been learning more things and learning how to get along with the new coach and all the girls have been getting along and working hard as a team.”
Barker has two lasting memories from his 35-year coaching career — one from each of the two programs he coached.
“The first thing that stands out is all the fantastic kids and athletes that I was able to work with,” he said. “We had some really good athletes when we were winning the state championships at Arlington. And then when I came to Lakewood, my daughters played and I knew those kids. We had some really good teams and a really good run of athletes.”
Barker’s daughters are four years apart in age, so he coached the oldest for four years and when she graduated, he coached his younger daughter the next four seasons.
“Being able to coach my daughters was really something that I remember,” he said. “That was really special to me.”
Being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 capped a stellar career.
“One of the reasons why I stayed so many years is that you develop these relationships with the kids, other coaches and umpires,” Barker said. “To be recognized by those peers and to be voted into the Hall of Fame. … It was really an honor to be recognized by my peers.”
Now, Barker gets to be a fan of the program he helped mold — one that is hungry for a return trip to the state tournament.
“Every day when we go to lift (weights), there is a trophy case and there is an empty shelf about eye-level high,” Boortz said “It’s kind of dusty in there, but there’s a spot for our state tournament trophy. I always make the girls stop and look at it and I say, ‘There’s an empty spot there and we need to go fill it.’”
Nothing would make Steve Barker more proud.
Aaron Lommers covers prep sports for The Herald. Follow him on Twitter at @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.
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