University of Tulsa signs two men’s soccer recruits

Tulsa signed two players for the 2021 men’s soccer signing class, including Josh Baros and Cooper King, as announced by head coach Tom McIntosh.

“I am pleased overall with signing Josh and Cooper,” McIntosh said.  “They are both going to fit in with our style of play and the culture we want to continue to build here, and we look forward to having them on campus.”

Josh Baros

Baros, a 5-11 midfielder from Albuquerque, N.M., has played club soccer with the Rio Rapids for 12 years.  With the Rapids, he served as team captain for 10 years and was a first-team ECNL Region honoree and an Olympic Development Program player.  Baros was a four-year letterwinner at Valley High School.  He tallied 32 goals and 27 assists for 91 points, and was a first-team all-state, all-district and District Player of the Year during his career.

“Josh is a center-midfield player and is very competitive, which is something we always look for, but he is also a good passer, covers a lot of ground in midfield and reads the game well,” McIntosh said.  “He has the ability to compete and play right away.  He is also an excellent student with great grades and test scores, so he’s a good fit academically as well.”

Cooper King

A 5-10 defender from Tulsa, Okla., King has played club soccer for the Tulsa Soccer Club for eight years.  He was named the ECNL Player of the Year in 2019, and was tabbed as an ECNL all-conference selection three times and the ECNL Player to Watch twice.  King is also a three-year letterwinner at Bishop Kelley High School.  He helped BKHS post a 37-1 mark and claim the Oklahoma Class 5A state championship as both a freshman and sophomore, and then posted a 6-2 mark in 2020 before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.  King has been named to the all-district and all-state teams, as well as picked up Tulsa World all-World honors three times.

“Cooper is a defender / defensive midfield out of Bishop Kelley so we’ve known him for a long time,” McIntosh said.  “We know he is extremely competitive, a tough individual defender, he communicates exceptionally well, reads the game well and has excellent passing range.  He is also an excellent student and will be a great fit academically at The University of Tulsa.”

2021 Tulsa Men’s Soccer Signees
Name               Pos.      Ht.       Hometown / Previous School
Josh Baros        MF       5-11     Albuquerque, N.M. / Valley HS
Cooper King     D          5-10     Tulsa, Okla. / Bishop Kelley HS