University of Illinois Graduate

NIL Opportunities

Career Highs

• Innings pitched: 8.0 - vs. Southern Illinois, March 17, 2023
• Strikeouts: 11, vs. Youngstown State, Feb. 17, 2023
• Walks allowed: 4, 5x, last - at Southern Miss, Feb. 24, 2023
• Batters faced: 30 - vs. Southern Illinois, March 17, 2023 
• Field chances: 2, 5x, last - vs. Indiana, April 14, 2023
• Putouts: 2, 2x, last - at Northwestern, April 7, 2023
• Assists: 2, vs. Purdue, April 25, 2021 
• Runners CS: 1, 4x, last - vs. Minnesota, April 21, 2023

Redshirt Junior - 2023

• Went 2-3 with a 6.30 ERA (42 ER/60.0 IP) in 12 starts...tossed a total of three quality in the campaign.
• Struck out 75 batters while only issuing 16 walks.
• Whiffed a career-high 11 batters in the season opener vs. Youngstown State on Feb. 17.
• Worked a career-high 8.0 innings on March 17 vs. Southern Illinois...struck out 10 batters in the contest and did not issue a free pass.
• Fanned 10 batters on April 7 at Northwestern, his third double-digit strikeout performance of the season.

Sophomore - 2022

• No. 17 MLB Draft prospect in the Big Ten by D1Baseball
• Went 5-4 with a 4.86 ERA (36 ER/66.2 IP) in 13 games, all starts
• Struck out 68 batters while walking 27
• Help opposing batters to a .215 average
• Had five starts with seven or more strikeouts
• Twirled five quality starts on the season
• Had back-to-back quality starts on April 10 at Iowa and April 17 vs. Northwestern, tossing 13.0 IP and allowing two earned runs to go along with 12 strikeouts and four walks. 

Freshman - 2021

• All-Big Ten freshman team
• Made 12 starts in his first season pitching collegiately in 2021
• 2-5, 6.08 ERA, 50.1 IP, 28 BB, 58 SO
• Career-high 9 SO at Iowa 5/16/21
• Started Illinois’ combined no-hitter at Purdue 4/25/21 (7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 SO)
• Named Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Player of the Week (4/26)
• Named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week (4/27)
• First career collegiate victory at Minnesota 3/13/21
• First career start vs. Ohio State 3/6/21

Freshman - 2020 (COVID-19 Shortened)

• Missed the season with an injury

Freshman - 2019 

• Redshirted the 2019 season
• Missed the season with an injury

High School

• Three-year letterwinner
• Played for head coach Matt Thompson at Libertyville
• No. 19 recruit in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report
• No. 5 right-handed pitcher in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report
• 7-2, 2.25 ERA, 81 SO, 56 IP in high school
• IHSA All-State first team
• Two-time All-North Shore Conference
• All-area first team
• Also played basketball at Libertyville
• Committed to Illinois in the fall of his senior year
• Chose Illinois over Kansas, Ole Miss and multiple Big Ten programs

Personal

• Born Oct. 18, 1999
• Son of Patrick and Tracy Gowens
• One younger sister, Kaitlin
• Majoring in business
• Volunteers at Feed My Starving Children annually
• Chose Illinois because, "of the coaching staff, facilities, great place to fit in athletically and academically, and a realistic goal of playing in Omaha."