Bowen Signed And Ready To Be A Pirate

Jase Bowen OF / SS / Central Catholic, OH / 2019

So the 334th player selected in this month’s Major League Baseball Draft made the difficult decision of signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I’ve always wanted to play professional baseball and get to the big leagues,” the recent Toledo Central Catholic graduate said. “It’s been a dream forever, it’s what I’ve wanted to do.”

Electing to become a Pirate did not take place without some reservations about staying with the commitment to Michigan State, where the 6-1 190-pounder had a scholarship to play college football while also planning to be part of the Spartans’ baseball team.

“I had to weigh everything,” explained Bowen, who was taken by the Pirates in the 11th round of the draft. “How important was an education? Did I want to plass up playing two sports in college? Should I follow my dream and play pro ball?”

The chance to sign with the Pirates proved to be the choice for Bowen, who admitted telling Michigan State about the decision was something he dreaded doing.

“I’ll always love what Michigan State has done for me, they’re like family,” Bowen said. “I love coach (Mark) Dantonio and coach (Jake) Boss, too. They handled this all with super class and were super excited for me. Coach Dantonio said I’ll always be a Spartan and have a home there.

“I was super excited with the outcome of that phone call. I didn’t look forward to it at all, but after talking with them I was so happy with the class they showed.”

But it was hard to top the excitement of getting drafted on June 5.

“I can’t describe it … it was so awesome,” Bowen reflected. “A buddy (Jacob Phillips) and my dad (Ryan Bowen) were with my watching it on TV but my TV went out two picks before. I had it on a laptop and it came back on five picks after I was picked.”

In between came the thrill of a lifetime.