He's not a thief, but former Madison College baseball player Chris Barker knows a thing or two about stealing. Barker finished his WolfPack career tied for eighth all-time in stolen bases (34). Since then, he's been teaching other ballplayers how to take a bag.

At the end of August, Barker became the general manager for the Rawlings Hitters in Racine, Wisconsin, his hometown. There, he will also serve as the head coach of their U15 team. "I love coaching because it gives me a chance to build relationships with individuals that hopefully will last forever," Barker said. "I also enjoy sharing the knowledge that I have gained over my playing career."

While Barker begins his new journey with a smile, he knows it was his previous stop, Delaware State University, which helped bring him back home.

For the past three years, Barker directed the Delaware State University baseball team's offense and defense, while also serving as the team's Recruiting Coordinator. "I ended up at Delaware State through one of my former coaches at University of North Carolina Greensborough," said Barker. "He asked me if I wanted to come be the second assistant and enroll in the Sport Administration Master's program."

Barker obliged, and just last season helped the Hornets sting their opponents at a clip of 3.02 steals per game, a mark that led all NCAA DI teams. Always humble, the Racine, Wisconsin, native gives much of the credit to his players though. "I would always say that the players are the ones who produce the statistics," Barker said. "I will say, through my experiences at Madison College and UNCG, that my job is to make sure they are comfortable and trust me."

Still, the numbers don't lie. In 2012, Barker helped DSU finish second in the nation in on-base percentage (.423) and runs scored (475), while also guiding his team to a national DI record with 152 hit-by pitches. Not coincidentally, after leaving Madison College, the former WolfPack outfielder became the University of North Carolina Greensborough's all-time leader in hit-by-pitches (42).

"I'm not in pain, but I do have some lasting marks on my body," Barker said smiling. "I am proud of the fact that I was the type of player who would do anything to get on base, because we all know the object of the game is to score runs."

Outside of coaching, Chris is thriving as well. He just graduated from the Sport Administration Master's program at Delaware State, with his end goal to "become an athletic director at either a community college or division III someday."

As for the time he spent at Madison College, Barker says, "Madison College prepared me to be accountable and respectful in everything I do." "I would recommend Madison College to anyone, saying that it is a place that will enable you to become a successful individual, while appreciating the process of getting there through hard work."

It's nice to know, in Barker's case, that hard work really does pay off.