THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: From 'Baby Burke' to Vikings' softball leader

In 2022, Chloe Burke stepped to the plate at Coeur d’Alene High softball games to the chants of “Baby Burke” from her teammates. 

After all, the freshman’s older sister, Skylar, was a standout senior shortstop for the Vikings. 

“It was really fun to play with my sister for one year,” Chloe recalled. “And I think I’ve grown out of Baby Burke, now, I’m the oldest here.” 

Indeed. 

This year, Chloe Burke is a senior leader for Coeur d’Alene High, which is coming off its fourth straight district title, and ready for the state 6A tournament which begins today, with games at Owyhee High in Meridian and at Eagle High. 

Coeur d’Alene (18-2), the sixth seed, is scheduled to play No. 3 Eagle (17-5) today at 2 p.m. PDT at Owyhee High. 

AFTER STARTING in left field as a freshman, Chloe moved to the infield, where she mostly plays second base — except when the Vikings need her back in the outfield. 

"I lovvvvve Chloe,” Coeur d’Alene coach Bobbi Darretta said. “First of all, all the Burkes are so athletic, and it’s blood, sweat and tears from them. You know they’ll never give up. 

“Chloe is the sneakiest baserunner I’ve ever seen,” Darretta said. “That is her weapon. She thinks it’s at the plate. I’m like, ‘no, it doesn’t matter how you get on, once you get on, you’re the weapon.’ And she covers more ground than any second baseman in the league, by far. She’s our leader, on the field, she calls a lot of plays for us. She just knows the game so well; her softball IQ is so high.”

Skylar is now a starting guard on the women’s basketball team at UC Santa Barbara. 

The oldest of the Burke girls, Bre, pitched at Coeur d’Alene High, then at UNLV before finishing up pitching one season at Lipscomb University, a Division I school in Nashville. 

What did Chloe glean from her older sisters? 

“I definitely think controlling my emotions,” she said. “Skylar was always the best at that. She’s always had that competitive spirit in her, but not let it get in her head.  

“And Bre ... Bobbi likes to think of me as like the heart of the team. My sister, when she came here, she was a pitcher ... I learned to keep all my teammates up.” 

CHLOE BURKE turned 18 on Wednesday, celebrating with a long bus ride with her teammates to the Boise area. 

The ultimate birthday present awaits this weekend. 

“It feels like a family, every single year,” Chloe said of the Vikings. “It might be one of the closest teams I’ve ever been on.” 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.