BASE | Sam Bower Set to Join Gaels in 2021
6/8/2020 10:53:00 AM | Baseball
MORAGA, Calif. — The strength of the 2020 Saint Mary's Gaels was their pitching staff, a group that finished the abbreviated season with a top-50 team earned run average at 3.06. That pitching staff just got deeper, as the Gaels announced the addition of Sam Bower to their group of arms for the 2021 season.
"Sam gets better each week because he's hungry to learn the craft of pitching," head coach Greg Moore commented on Bower. "As a two-way player most of life, he's making command and velocity jumps that are exciting. Sam can be a force in the WCC in any role, from weekend starter to closer."
Bower attended and graduated from Redwood High School in 2019, and he was an anchor in a rotation that helped the Rangers with the West Yosemite League title his senior season. As a two-way player spent time on the infield, Bower hit .310 at the plate while scoring 16 runs and driving home another 16. His efforts on the mound were what stood out even more: a record of 6-3 with an ERA of 2.29, striking out 52 in 52 innings.
Last season, the Gaels only had four pitchers with ERAs above 3.50, while seven different pitchers kept their ERAs under 2.50. The Gaels were among some of the best in country in various pitching statistics, ranking 50th in team ERA, 24th in WHIP (walks+hits per inning pitched), and seventh in walks allowed per nine innings.
#GaelsRise
A right-hander with healthy size for either the rotation or bullpen (6'2", 215 lbs.), Bower comes to Saint Mary's from the College of Sequoias. The Visalia native spent his first collegiate season as a hometown kid for the Giants, where he made eight appearances, compiling a 4-1 record with a 3.44 earned run average. He tossed 34 innings, with a majority of those coming in his five starts, and walked just six while striking out 22. 
"Sam gets better each week because he's hungry to learn the craft of pitching," head coach Greg Moore commented on Bower. "As a two-way player most of life, he's making command and velocity jumps that are exciting. Sam can be a force in the WCC in any role, from weekend starter to closer."
Bower attended and graduated from Redwood High School in 2019, and he was an anchor in a rotation that helped the Rangers with the West Yosemite League title his senior season. As a two-way player spent time on the infield, Bower hit .310 at the plate while scoring 16 runs and driving home another 16. His efforts on the mound were what stood out even more: a record of 6-3 with an ERA of 2.29, striking out 52 in 52 innings.
Last season, the Gaels only had four pitchers with ERAs above 3.50, while seven different pitchers kept their ERAs under 2.50. The Gaels were among some of the best in country in various pitching statistics, ranking 50th in team ERA, 24th in WHIP (walks+hits per inning pitched), and seventh in walks allowed per nine innings.
#GaelsRise
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