KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Northwoods League is known throughout college baseball as one of the premier collegiate summer leagues across the United States giving players unparalleled experience with 72 games in 76 days.
Players come from far and wide to participate in the historic league, and players on the Growlers are no different starting with Jordan Bowersox.
Bowersox is the starting centerfielder for Penn State University and hails from Winter Springs, Florida. While he will be far away from home this summer the opportunity that awaits Bowersox is one he could not pass up.
“The past two summers I went home down in Florida and played,” Bowersox said. “It’s pretty long it’s like a 50 game season. The competition there isn’t going to be close to Northwoods from what I’ve heard. I’m experiencing new things, I lived at home too so it will be different to live with the host family and stuff. I’m excited to meet the team and meet new people.”
For Penn State this season as a junior, Bowersox batted .276 which was second on the team. He played and started in 48 of the 49 games which lead the NIttany Lions. Bowersox will have some of the most playing experience of anyone on this Growlers team and hopes to be able to translate his leadership from Pennsylvania to Kalamazoo.
“It’s kind of like this year (For Penn State) there’s not that many upperclassmen so you have to take on that role of leader,” Bowersox said. “I’m learning from different guys which I can carry on to this summer. Teaching the younger guys this summer there will be a lot of underclassmen so it’s just taking from what I’ve learned at Penn State which will help me a lot.”
Along with his leadership, Bowersox, like every other player in the Northwoods league, is coming in with things to work on and improve in his game. While Bowersox has been a prolific hitter for Penn State he knows he still has room to improve.
“I would say just my approach hitting wise. Baseball is a game of hitting and I’m going to be working on a lot of different stuff like bunting, and especially when I’m going to facing a lot of good pitching. Seeing that level of pitching will definitely help me out and that will come through in season next year.”
The long season of the Northwoods league is well documented, and the travel and grind is unlike any other collegiate summer league in the country. This can be tough on players but they know they will come out better for it.
“Well I’m not looking forward to the bus rides,” Bowersox said “I have a friend who played on this team last summer and he said it’s a grind like you’ll be in at two or three in the morning and have a game the next day. But building relationships with the players is the biggest thing I’m looking forward to. Here at Penn State bus rides aren’t fun, hotels aren’t the best but building relationships with the guys and that’s what makes it fun.”
It is every teams goal is to win as many games as they can and that only happens if every player is pulling the same way. Every player wants to improve their own individual game, while also doing their best to help the team. Bowersox is prepared to do whatever is necessary to accomplish both.
“My goals are just to compete and to compete against the top level. I don’t really have any goals number wise, and obviously it’s a goal to stay healthy but baseball wise I just want to have fun.”