WOOSTER - The recruiting process started early for Blake Bowen. 

“Last year the Junior Future Games was when it all started,” Bowen reflected. “That’s when I started getting invited to camps.”

Interest in the 16th-rated 2023 in Ohio was a no-brainer.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play Division I college baseball,” Bowen noted. “It started becoming a reality when I was facing some of the best pitchers in the state and hitting them as an eighth grader. I was getting a lot of confidence.”

Kentucky was one of the schools taking notice.

“I had a tournament in North Carolina two weeks before the Future Games,” Bowen said. “We won the tournament and, staying in the hotel that night, coach Rob (McNerney) said to give coach (Will) Coggin (the recruiting coordinator) a call. I instantly felt a connection. We talked again before the Future Games and had a nice conversation.

“Then after the Future Games we talked again. They felt I had a good BP and held my own against great pitchers in the northeast. I talked with (head) coach (Nick) Mingione after that and he said I was going to go on a virtual tour with coach Coggin. They offered late Sunday night after the Future Games and I committed on the spot.”

The 6-2 170-pound left-handed hitting infielder impressed the coaches of the SEC program.

“They really like my hit tool,” Bowen related. “They really like my projectability.”

One of two Ohio sophomores now committed to Kentucky, Bowen is excited about the idea of playing ball in the south.

“I was really thinking of staying home in the north, but the SEC is awesome so it was hard to decline,” noted Bowen, who was talking with Kent State and Ohio State prior to the Future Games and with West Virginia afterward. “Kentucky, being the closest school in the SEC, just felt like a good fit.”

The virtual tour only cemented the decision to commit to a program still in search of its first SEC tournament championship.

“Playing in the SEC has always been a dream,” Bowen said. “Once I saw the weight room on the virtual tour, and then the hitting facility and the dorms and the whole campus … it just seemed right.

“My goal was to see if I could get committed by winter at a good school that I felt comfortable with. But when I saw Kentucky I felt there was no need to wait any longer on committing.”

The Wooster sophomore points to three things he hopes to provide the Kentucky program.

“Leadership, a good bat and, hopefully, bring a national championship,” the fourth-ranked infielder in Ohio’s 2023 class said.

Recent improvement, surprisingly, was enhanced by COVID-19 according to Bowen.

“In a way the quarantine helped me,” Bowen explained. “I’ve been in the weight room non-stop. I’ve been hitting with high school teammates and perfecting my swing. I need to get stronger now. I need to gain a little bit of speed and really work on my fielding. Those are my two weak spots.”

As for what position Bowen plays in college, that is still to be determined.

“They said to play shortstop as long as I can but what they see in me is I will end up at third,” Bowen noted.

His father Jeff, who is originally from Michigan, has been the biggest influence on Bowen.

“My dad has always been there for me when I need to hit, take ground balls or get in the weight room,” Bowen said. “He played baseball at Cedarville and is the main reason I’m where I am today.”

Heading off to college 41/2 hours from home is exciting for the 15-year-old, whose first contact with a college was with Kent State the second week of the summer

“I have to admit I’m glad the recruiting process is over,” Bowen said. “It takes a lot of stress off my shoulders. Now I can focus on the game I love.”