The transition of Vanderbilt’s power closer into a starter and then back again traces back to last summer. The Lynn, Mass. native began his junior year by throwing 17 1/3 scoreless innings in the Cape Cod League, winning playoff MVP honors on a league champion team. His unblemished ERA earned both a summer league title and a big boost on MLB draft boards.
Back on campus, Bowden met a new challenge as he morphed into a starting pitcher this fall. Though he was used exclusively as a reliever his first two seasons at Vanderbilt, the lefty started two games of the intrasquad Black and Gold series in October, as his rotation bid became more and more serious.