Owen turns double play on Signing Day
Briggs Barker and Frances Holladay sign with college programs
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 2, 2022
Owen seniors Briggs Barker and Frances Holladay were surrounded by family, Feb. 2, as they made their college commitments official on National Signing Day. Briggs will play baseball at Southeastern Community College while Holladay intends to continue her softball career at Spartanburg Methodist College. Photo by Fred McCormick
As high school seniors around the country made their collegiate plans official on the National Signing Day, Feb. 2, cheers erupted from the bleachers in the Owen gymnasium, where Briggs Barker and Frances Holladay signed on the dotted line.
Family members, coaches, teammates and other supporters gathered to celebrate the multi-sport athletes, who will continue their respective careers on the baseball and softball diamond.
Barker, who is entering his third season as a third baseman, pitcher and outfielder for the Warhorses this spring, will head to Columbus County, where he will join the Rams of Southeastern Community College. Holladay, a center fielder and pitcher for the Warlassies, will take the field for the Spartanburg Methodist College Pioneers.
“Softball is my favorite sport,” said Holladay, who played tennis and basketball during her athletic career at Owen. “So, signing with a college program today is like a dream come true.”
The speedy outfielder has been a threat on the base path for the Warlassies since recording 8 stolen bases in 8 attempts as a freshman, when she also started five games in the pitching circle. While her sophomore season was canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she played in 10 games as a junior in 2021, posting a .905 fielding percentage in center field.
Holladay decided to commit to the Pioneer program after a visit to Spartanburg Methodist.
“I felt like I could go there and contribute to the team,” she said. “I still have room to grow as a player, and I think this a good opportunity for me to do that.”
Like Holladay, Barker is embracing the chance to compete against athletes at the collegiate level in a sport he’s been playing most of his life.
“It feels awesome to have the opportunity to play baseball at the next level,” said Barker, who rushed for 649 yards and 7 touchdowns for the Owen football team in the fall and currently leads the Warhorse basketball team with 9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. “(Baseball) has always been my favorite sport, and I’ve wanted to play college baseball since middle school.”
As a junior, Barker drove in 5 runs in 12 games while collecting the team’s only triple. He stole 12 bases on 12 attempts in 2021, a season in which he successfully swiped two bags in three different contests.
He was eager to attend Southeastern Community College after working out during a recent visit.
“I felt like it was a good fit,” Barker said. “I met with (Head Coach Robert Burns), and he talked a lot about building something special there, so that's something I want to be a part of.”
As he prepares for his final season with the Warhorses, Barker hopes his versatility will help him find a role with the Rams.
“I don’t know what position I’ll be playing there, but that’s not something that really matters to me,” he said. “I’ll just be happy to be playing baseball.”