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Numbers are a big part of Riley Gowens’ baseball career.
As an elite right-hander, he keeps track of his statistics, the velocity of his pitches and anything else that can be used to measure and guide.
But Gowens has three digits in particular seared into his mind: 885.
That’s the number of days he was sidelined after he suffered an elbow injury in the final start of his senior season at Libertyville in 2018.
“I was away from the game so long that throwing even felt new to me again,” he said. “I had to figure out who I was as a player. I never had a thought to not pitch again. I did a lot of soul searching.
“I think the absence made me realize how much I loved the game. Not being able to play and going through the all-time dumps of the baseball world, I managed to find my passion for the game, and it reassured me.”
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Gowens, who pitched for Illinois for three seasons after recovering from Tommy John surgery, is back on the right track. The 23-year-old was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the ninth round of the MLB draft on July 10. He signed a contract and has started his professional career.
Gowens, who went 2-3 with a 6.30 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 60 innings this past season, said being picked in the draft was a surreal moment for him and his family.
“I knew there was a good chance it would happen, but also it might not happen,” he said. “It just happened out of the blue. I was told two minutes before the pick. I had no idea. I was at home with my girlfriend, my parents and sister.
“It was awesome. The whole family was extremely excited, just a really cool moment. It was probably the best day of my life so far. The Braves are a great organization. Pro baseball has always been my dream.”
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His mother, Tracy Gowens, said the pick led to a flood of emotions.
“Although it was exciting to hear his name called, my heart really burst in those few seconds after, just seeing his face as the realization sank in,” she said. “It was a really special one-of-a-kind moment. We’re incredibly proud of him and his strong growth mindset that he calls upon every day.”
Libertyville baseball coach Matt Thompson said it was a memorable moment for his program too. Gowens is the second player from the 2018 class to sign with an MLB organization. Former Libertyville pitcher Colin Fields, who played at Valparaiso, signed a free-agent contract with the Detroit Tigers last year.
“I was so excited for him when I heard he got drafted,” Thompson said of Gowens. “We had been in contact before the draft, and he was confident that it would happen. I was definitely following the draft a bit more than usual. I can’t wait to see his progress in the minor leagues, so hopefully we will get someone called up to ‘the show’ soon.”
Libertyville pitching coach Dan Gooris, who has been in the program for 17 seasons, watched Gowens mature over the years.
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“Riley was up with us since his freshman year, so I got to know him all four years of high school,” Gooris said. “We knew early on that he was special, with a chance to compete at a high level in college, and if things progressed correctly, he had the potential to throw professionally.”
Gooris said Gowens never wavered in his belief that he would return to the mound after his injury and be highly successful.
“It was a perfect storm of events that kept him off the mound for nearly three years,” Gooris said. “To see him succeed, after all that time, was the most rewarding. He worked so hard just to have the opportunity to make it back to the mound.
“That 885 days he missed, then to come back and keep working hard over all that time is amazing. A lot of kids may have given up or not kept the same energy, edge or intensity, but Riley never missed a beat. So it was pretty neat to see him get drafted.”
Gowens, whose fastball has topped out at 96 mph, praised the Illinois coaching staff for believing in him throughout his recovery. He said he’s thrilled to be healthy and is motivated to move up in the Braves system.
“I’m really happy to be here out at the rookie ball facility,” Gowens said. “It’s really, really cool and everything I’ve dreamed it being. This is a great opportunity, an opportunity not a lot of people get.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.