Feeling the Love – Sowers Ramps up the Baseball Power
5/23/2018 2:19:00 PM | Baseball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kids love him.
Can you blame them?
Logan Sowers is a 6-5, 230-pound Cream 'n Crimson testament to talent and charm, and the young fans who have gathered along the Bart Kaufman right field fence over the last four years can't get enough.
They shout and cheer whenever the Indiana senior trots out to his right field spot, and you'd better believe he reciprocates.
The best ones, the ones who make a difference on and off the field, always do.
"It's a lot of fun," he says. "They're great. They're always yelling my name or yelling for a ball. I try to give them a foul ball when I can."
Sowers gave fans young and old plenty to yell about with his Senior Day for the ages. He mercilessly hammered Maryland pitchers with four hits, two home runs and five runs batted in last Saturday.
He was so impressive that he received an ovation after striking out to cap a nine-pitch last at-bat.
Coach Chris Lemonis joked about it afterward.
"I said in the dugout, 'Man, you've struck out a lot here,'" Lemonis says with a smile, "'and that was the first time you got an ovation for it.'"
Sowers has done much to applaud lately. Over the last nine games Sowers has become a hitter no pitcher wants to face, going 17-for-39 with four home runs and 13 runs batted in.
"I am (seeing the ball well)," he says. "It's about not missing the pitches when you get into good counts. Early on I was in positive counts and just missing them. Now I'm not.
"I always get in these spurts where I see the ball really well, and I hit for some nice power. I haven't done that a lot this year."
He pauses and laughs.
"It's a good time to start doing it."
Consider his 413-foot three-run homer in the first inning against Maryland, then a towering right field blast in the fifth and another opposite field shot that was just foul in his final at-bat.
The man has power.
Sowers is a big reason why the Hoosiers (37-15 overall, 14-9 in conference play) have won six straight and enter this week's Big Ten tourney in Omaha as the No. 5 seed. They'll face fourth-seed Illinois (31-18) on Wednesday.
Indiana won two of three against the Illini during the regular season.
Such numbers are fine, but Sowers' IU experience has gone way beyond that, highlighted by the coaches he's played for, the teammates he's played with and the fellow seniors he's lived among.
Specifically, his housemates are pitcher Brian Hobbie, and outfielders Laren Eustace and Chris Lowe.
"I came in with 12 freshmen and four made it the whole way through," Sowers says. "We roomed together the last two years in a house. It's been a lot of fun getting close with those guys. Just the life-long friends I'll have."
That reflects his best Hoosier memories.
"Just the locker room and being around the guys. Telling jokes.
"Coming (to Bart Kaufman Field), sometimes we're here at 6 in the morning or going to weight lifting early. You never realize how special that is until it's about done. That's what I've tried to tell the freshmen. It flies by. It's crazy. My four years flew by just like that."
He pauses to smile.
"It's been awesome."
As far as what he'll miss the most, Sowers says, "It's the guys. The facilities are awesome, but at the end of the day, it's the people you miss."
Sowers isn't ready to start missing them.
"We still have a couple more weeks to go. Hopefully a month to go."
Lemonis shares that postseason hope and understands how big a role Sowers can play.
"He's had so many big moments," Lemonis says. "It's hard to pinpoint one."
But there is one.
Lemonis rates Sowers monster grand slam against Iowa as a freshman in the 2015 Big Ten tourney at Minnesota's Target Field as among his most impressive moments.
"I always think about that ball he hit into the upper deck."
For a brief period there was a concern Sowers might hit such blasts for another team.
He originally committed to Indiana with former coach Tracy Smith. When Smith left to take over the Arizona State program the summer before his freshman season, Sowers wasn't sure Indiana was still the school for him.
A good conversation with Lemonis, a highly successful Louisville assistant coach before coming to IU, convinced him it was.
Two NCAA tourney appearances, a third on the way, and 138 victories reflect the wisdom in that choice.
Much was expected from Sowers after winning Indiana Mr. Baseball honors in 2014 out of McCutcheon High School. As a senior he hit .365 with 11 home runs and 30 runs batted in. He was rated as the nation's No. 39 overall prospect by Prep Baseball Report.
The big question -- could he thrive at the college level?
The quick answer -- absolutely.
Sowers rates in the Hoosiers' top-10 career list in hits (231), doubles (49) and home runs (36). He's improved his batting average each season, from .257 to .273 to .291 to this season's .318.
He was a Big Ten all-freshman selection in his first season, the team most valuable player in his second.
A wrist injury slowed Sowers down early last season, although he came on strong to hit .354 in his final 28 regular season games. He led IU in hits (69) and doubles (19), was second with 13 home runs and third in average and runs batted in (43). His 19 doubles also led the Big Ten.
Sowers also became the seventh Hoosier (and first to do it in the postseason) to hit three home runs in a game when he smacked three during an NCAA Regional win over Ohio.
Still, Sowers went undrafted last spring, a big blow given the San Diego Padres had drafted him in the 31st round coming out of high school.
That was a big motivator for this season.
Sowers changed his approach to hitting, focused on patience and swinging at good pitches, and cutting back on strikeouts. Defensively he remained one of the Big Ten's better outfielders (he has only six errors for his career).
The result has paid off for him (he has nine homers and 31 RBI) and for IU.
The goal now is to extend that payoff into the postseason.
The return of pitcher Pauly Milto and third baseman Luke Miller from injuries -- and the resulting six-game winning streak -- makes IU a dangerous team.
"We're hot in a lot of ways," Lemonis says. "Some of our pitchers are hot. Some of our hitters are feeling that we're back and clicking. When you have Sowers and Miller and (Matt) Lloyd and those guys hitting, you've got a chance. And (shortstop) Jeremy Houston is playing defense at a level he hasn't played at in his career, and he's been a good player here.
"We had good pieces come together (against Maryland). This is some of the best ball we've played."
Now comes the biggest key of all -- sustaining it in the Big Ten tourney, and beyond.
"(Our guys are) focused," Lemonis says. "They play better when they feel good about themselves. They're feeling good. They'll be ready to go."
As far as what it will take to make a big postseason run, Lemonis says, "Good starting pitching, play defense and get some timely hits. The pressure hits let guys relax and play a little bit. We're built for that. Hopefully it happens this week in Omaha."
Or, as Sowers puts it, "Just keep doing what we're doing. This is the most confidence I've ever felt going into the postseason. We have a strong chance to go really far. I'm looking forward to it."
Somewhere, you figure, young fans look forward to it even more.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kids love him.
Can you blame them?
Logan Sowers is a 6-5, 230-pound Cream 'n Crimson testament to talent and charm, and the young fans who have gathered along the Bart Kaufman right field fence over the last four years can't get enough.
They shout and cheer whenever the Indiana senior trots out to his right field spot, and you'd better believe he reciprocates.
The best ones, the ones who make a difference on and off the field, always do.
"It's a lot of fun," he says. "They're great. They're always yelling my name or yelling for a ball. I try to give them a foul ball when I can."
Sowers gave fans young and old plenty to yell about with his Senior Day for the ages. He mercilessly hammered Maryland pitchers with four hits, two home runs and five runs batted in last Saturday.
He was so impressive that he received an ovation after striking out to cap a nine-pitch last at-bat.
Coach Chris Lemonis joked about it afterward.
"I said in the dugout, 'Man, you've struck out a lot here,'" Lemonis says with a smile, "'and that was the first time you got an ovation for it.'"
Sowers has done much to applaud lately. Over the last nine games Sowers has become a hitter no pitcher wants to face, going 17-for-39 with four home runs and 13 runs batted in.
"I am (seeing the ball well)," he says. "It's about not missing the pitches when you get into good counts. Early on I was in positive counts and just missing them. Now I'm not.
"I always get in these spurts where I see the ball really well, and I hit for some nice power. I haven't done that a lot this year."
He pauses and laughs.
"It's a good time to start doing it."
Consider his 413-foot three-run homer in the first inning against Maryland, then a towering right field blast in the fifth and another opposite field shot that was just foul in his final at-bat.
The man has power.
Sowers is a big reason why the Hoosiers (37-15 overall, 14-9 in conference play) have won six straight and enter this week's Big Ten tourney in Omaha as the No. 5 seed. They'll face fourth-seed Illinois (31-18) on Wednesday.
Indiana won two of three against the Illini during the regular season.
Such numbers are fine, but Sowers' IU experience has gone way beyond that, highlighted by the coaches he's played for, the teammates he's played with and the fellow seniors he's lived among.
Specifically, his housemates are pitcher Brian Hobbie, and outfielders Laren Eustace and Chris Lowe.
"I came in with 12 freshmen and four made it the whole way through," Sowers says. "We roomed together the last two years in a house. It's been a lot of fun getting close with those guys. Just the life-long friends I'll have."
That reflects his best Hoosier memories.
"Just the locker room and being around the guys. Telling jokes.
"Coming (to Bart Kaufman Field), sometimes we're here at 6 in the morning or going to weight lifting early. You never realize how special that is until it's about done. That's what I've tried to tell the freshmen. It flies by. It's crazy. My four years flew by just like that."
He pauses to smile.
"It's been awesome."
As far as what he'll miss the most, Sowers says, "It's the guys. The facilities are awesome, but at the end of the day, it's the people you miss."
Sowers isn't ready to start missing them.
"We still have a couple more weeks to go. Hopefully a month to go."
Lemonis shares that postseason hope and understands how big a role Sowers can play.
"He's had so many big moments," Lemonis says. "It's hard to pinpoint one."
But there is one.
Lemonis rates Sowers monster grand slam against Iowa as a freshman in the 2015 Big Ten tourney at Minnesota's Target Field as among his most impressive moments.
"I always think about that ball he hit into the upper deck."
For a brief period there was a concern Sowers might hit such blasts for another team.
He originally committed to Indiana with former coach Tracy Smith. When Smith left to take over the Arizona State program the summer before his freshman season, Sowers wasn't sure Indiana was still the school for him.
A good conversation with Lemonis, a highly successful Louisville assistant coach before coming to IU, convinced him it was.
Two NCAA tourney appearances, a third on the way, and 138 victories reflect the wisdom in that choice.
Much was expected from Sowers after winning Indiana Mr. Baseball honors in 2014 out of McCutcheon High School. As a senior he hit .365 with 11 home runs and 30 runs batted in. He was rated as the nation's No. 39 overall prospect by Prep Baseball Report.
The big question -- could he thrive at the college level?
The quick answer -- absolutely.
Sowers rates in the Hoosiers' top-10 career list in hits (231), doubles (49) and home runs (36). He's improved his batting average each season, from .257 to .273 to .291 to this season's .318.
He was a Big Ten all-freshman selection in his first season, the team most valuable player in his second.
A wrist injury slowed Sowers down early last season, although he came on strong to hit .354 in his final 28 regular season games. He led IU in hits (69) and doubles (19), was second with 13 home runs and third in average and runs batted in (43). His 19 doubles also led the Big Ten.
Sowers also became the seventh Hoosier (and first to do it in the postseason) to hit three home runs in a game when he smacked three during an NCAA Regional win over Ohio.
Still, Sowers went undrafted last spring, a big blow given the San Diego Padres had drafted him in the 31st round coming out of high school.
That was a big motivator for this season.
Sowers changed his approach to hitting, focused on patience and swinging at good pitches, and cutting back on strikeouts. Defensively he remained one of the Big Ten's better outfielders (he has only six errors for his career).
The result has paid off for him (he has nine homers and 31 RBI) and for IU.
The goal now is to extend that payoff into the postseason.
The return of pitcher Pauly Milto and third baseman Luke Miller from injuries -- and the resulting six-game winning streak -- makes IU a dangerous team.
"We're hot in a lot of ways," Lemonis says. "Some of our pitchers are hot. Some of our hitters are feeling that we're back and clicking. When you have Sowers and Miller and (Matt) Lloyd and those guys hitting, you've got a chance. And (shortstop) Jeremy Houston is playing defense at a level he hasn't played at in his career, and he's been a good player here.
"We had good pieces come together (against Maryland). This is some of the best ball we've played."
Now comes the biggest key of all -- sustaining it in the Big Ten tourney, and beyond.
"(Our guys are) focused," Lemonis says. "They play better when they feel good about themselves. They're feeling good. They'll be ready to go."
As far as what it will take to make a big postseason run, Lemonis says, "Good starting pitching, play defense and get some timely hits. The pressure hits let guys relax and play a little bit. We're built for that. Hopefully it happens this week in Omaha."
Or, as Sowers puts it, "Just keep doing what we're doing. This is the most confidence I've ever felt going into the postseason. We have a strong chance to go really far. I'm looking forward to it."
Somewhere, you figure, young fans look forward to it even more.
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