On November 14, 2018, Pleasant Valley High School senior outfielder, Colin Barber, signed an official letter of intent to attend and play baseball at the University of Oregon.

Exactly seven months later, just days after the Houston Astros made him their fourth-round pick (136th overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft, Barber signed his first pro contract.

“I want to be a Houston Astro,” he pronounced, with more easy confidence than petulant defiance commonly displayed by some 18-year-olds.

The Astros managed to save some bonus pool money with the signings of first-round catcher Korey Lee at $1.75 million (just over a half-million dollars under pick value) and second-round selection, Grae Kessinger at $750,000 (saving $203,000 from pick value).

With these signings and their attendant savings, Houston was able to cobble together a million dollar bonus (some $600,000 over pick value) for Barber that easily persuaded him to eschew his college education and begin living out his pro baseball dream.

Barber was the lone high school player the Astros selected within their first 17 picks.

MLB teams usually have to pony up the bonus dough to coax a high schooler to sign, especially one who has a college commit, as Colin did. And, especially one whose talent the club covets.

But, Houston’s GM, Jeff Luhnow, also knew something about the Barber family’s recent past that had to have touched his heart, leaving him absolutely no buyer’s remorse after Colin’s pen hit paper.

Forging His Heavy Mettle

Barber, a fishing and camping enthusiast, grew up in the northern California town of Chico, home of the Pleasant Valley Vikings. His home is a scant 14 miles from ground zero for the Camp Fire (the densely populated town of Paradise, Colin’s birthplace), the devastating conflagration that destroyed nearly 240 square miles of structures and forests, and killed at least 85 residents last November.

Related: Astro Catcher Max Stassi Reaches Out to Paradise High Ballplayers After Fire

The week before Colin signed his Oregon letter of intent, his mother Heather’s car was burned in the Camp Fire. She was a pharmacist at the partially destroyed and now-closed Feather River Hospital in Paradise, while Colin’s dad, Bryan, had been busy helping at evacuation centers in his role as a local nurse.

Colin grew up an Oakland A’s fan, and their green and gold matched the colors of what had become the college of his dreams.

Indeed, when the University of Oregon recruiter approached him during his freshman year at Pleasant Valley, his mind was made up. Barber batted .465 his freshman year on the PV varsity baseball team.

“Then the nightmare happened,” wrote the Chico Enterprise-Record in November. “Barber broke his leg his sophomore year forcing him to miss all but four games with the Vikings and was left hoping that all would heal.”

“I’m coming back stronger, I’m coming back faster and besides that, I have a 4.3 grade point average so I can go where I want to go,” Colin told his dad following the injury, with not just a little self-assurance.

“It Was Awesome”

In the 2017-2018 season, his junior year, the left-hand hitting center fielder batted .449, with 35 hits, 39 RBIs, 31 runs scored, four home runs, three triples, and six doubles in 27 games to help lead the Vikings to a 21-6 record and a perfect 15-0 in the Eastern Athletic League.

Making the Astros’ deal to him much easier to pitch, Colin hit .493 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs during his just-completed senior season at Pleasant Valley. Barber led the Northern Section Division II in home runs, hits, and RBIs while being named Most Valuable Player for the section.

Scouts assert that Barber excels at making repeated hard contact with very quick hands on a short line drive, whip-like swing, possesses solid speed (6.51 60-yard dash), and a plus arm, earning him a classic right fielder’s profile.

Barber’s first-year varsity baseball coach (and math teacher), Jon Macalutas, is unyielding in his praise for his star player: “Colin is a tremendous baseball talent, but what I am most impressed with is his work ethic both on the field and in the classroom. As a coach, you want your best players to be your best teammates, and Colin has proved to be a true leader by example for this ball club.”

Barber’s intelligence can’t be overstated. Along with his 4.3 cumulative GPA, he was in honors trigonometry, three advanced placement classes (including calculus, language, and eco), and honors english.

In fact, it was in one of those classes where Barber was actually taking a final when he got the text of a lifetime from his senior class advisor. “He texted me and said the Astros are picking you up in the fourth round, and I just went silent,” Barber told Chico’s Action News Now. “I actually stopped my final, looked at my teacher, told her ‘I gotta go outside,’ ran and found my coach and give him a big old hug, so it was a great experience; it was awesome.”

Hitting the Ground Running

Barber has already reported to the Astros’ West Palm Beach (FL) Spring Training site, where the Gulf Coast League (GCL) Astros rookie team assembles. A couple of weeks there will lead him to Houston’s Class A Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League.

“The decision was tough,” Barber revealed to reporters the day he signed his Astros contract. “My parents really wanted me to go to college as well; my parents are heavy on education, but Oregon is also a great school and great baseball program.

“I just think I’m mentally ready. I’m mentally tough; I think I’m physically there too. Baseball’s always been the end goal and so I’m ready to be a professional baseball player.”

“It was a tough decision, but I want to be a Houston Astro.”

Set to play with Oregon following a standout career at Pleasant Valley HS, Colin Barber couldn’t turn down a chance to join the Houston Astros organization.