JC grad selects IPFW (06/24/08)

It only takes one school to make an athlete's dream of playing in Division I come true.

And Thomas McCowan was willing to wait.

McCowan, a Jay County High School graduate, made his college choice Friday when he signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball for the IPFW Mastodons next year.

"It's a Division I college, and I'll be getting to play against a bunch of bigger Division I schools," said McCowan of his decision. "That's what I always wanted to do. It seemed like a good situation to me.

"It feels great. I always thought that I was Division I and my coaches told me that they thought I could go. I just wasn't getting any looks. When one of them finally gave me a look, it made me feel really good about it."

He joins Josh Ludy (Baylor) and Michael Jobe (also IPFW) as graduates from this year's 25-3 JCHS baseball team who will be playing at the NCAA's highest level next season.

McCowan said he was considering several smaller schools, including Manchester, Franklin and Taylor. He also had an opportunity to try for a walk-on spot at Ball State.

"I think it's a good place for him," said JCHS baseball coach Lea Selvey of his shortstop. "His goal all along was to get to a Division I program and get a chance to play. I think IPFW offers that for him. From that standpoint, it's a good mix."

After breaking the school record for doubles in a season as a junior, McCowan got off to a torrid start to the 2008 season.

Through the first eight games of the year he was hitting .741 with four home runs, 19 RBIs, 11 runs and nine doubles. He went on to break his own school record for doubles with 20, which tied him for the most in the state, while hitting .512 with seven homers, 36 runs and 39 RBIs.

He helped the Patriots break the state record for slugging percentage, and hit the third-most home runs (65) in state history in a single season.

Selvey said it's McCowan's consistent bat that made him attractive to the Mastodons, and IPFW coach Billy Gernon agreed.

"McCowan will add some much needed offense to our team," said Gernon in a press release. "He is a physically strong player with solid arm strength. He could compete for a multitude of positions on the diamond.

"There will be competition for all of the starting positions in the upcoming year. The guys that hit for us will be the guys that play for us."

Choosing IPFW over some of his other options will give McCowan the opportunity to travel the country and to gauge his abilities against some of the best.

This year's Mastodon schedule started with a four-game series at Georgia State, and also included trips to Florida Gulf Coast, Michigan and Southern Utah. Indiana, Ball State and Notre Dame were also on the IPFW schedule.

"My goals are to go in and prove myself and to get a starting role anywhere they need me to ... get myself in the lineup," said McCowan. "That way I can play against the bigger schools and get the experience my first year."

McCowan said he's looking forward to the chance to play at IPFW with Jobe and Josh Shatto, another JCHS graduate who played the last two seasons at Ancilla College. He said he's glad he waited until a couple of weeks after the close of his senior season to choose his collegiate path.

"It let me weigh out all the options I had," said McCowan. "And that way I could pick what best fit for me."

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