By Allison Covey (@allisoncovey ):
Sammamish, Washington.
Yep, the same city Clint Eastwood is from.
Yep, the same city San Jose State softball freshman pitcher Caroline Bowman is from. One performs, one pitches, but both captivate audiences.
Two out of 10 Californians would mistake Sammamish for sandwich. That doesn’t bother Bowman whose won all 10 of her collegiate starts. The newcomer has stepped up big in the circle to help defend last year’s Mountain West Conference championship title — all without the presence of Colette Riggs and Katelyn Linford, last season’s dominant duo.
After 78 innings pitched and six complete games, Bowman finally experienced her first loss against second-place Boise State on March 24.
”I am just going in with the mentality that I have nothing to lose and trusting that I have a really good defense,” Bowman said. “Having really good hitters behind me helps a lot too.”
Head coach Peter Turner did not anticipate how big of an asset the 5-foot-10 freshman would be to the team in her first season.
“We really had to get someone who had to step in right away,” Turner said. “We did not know that we were going to have to use her as much as we have.”
SJSU junior catcher Alyssa Avila’s vantage point behind the plate gives her a unique perspective for reading the freshman pitcher. To Avila, Bowman is different.
“A lot of freshmen come in with it being their first year in college and playing Division I and she was ready for the challenge,” Avila said. “We expected her to be our No. 1 and she has stepped up.”
Growing up with a father who played baseball, softball is naturally in Bowman’s blood. She began playing in third grade and started playing competitively three years later.
“I have always been a pitcher first and I played a little bit of shortstop growing up, but I was always the tall kid so that was a little awkward,” Bowman said.
Because she had family members who played sports at SJSU, the decision to wear a Spartan uniform was a no doubter. Even her high school’s mascot is a Spartan.
“I had some family that came to San Jose State to play football and to just go to school here,” Bowman said.
On and off the field, softball is life for Bowman.
“She is very enthusiastic,” Avila said. “She is always cheering for us whether she is playing or not. On the field, she gives me my props as a catcher and I give her props as a pitcher. We work very well together.”
All in all, Turner is proud of how the young Bowman has showed improvement through the beginning of the season.
“This is a tough conference,” Turner said. “The mere fact that she has stepped up and learned each time she was gone out has been beneficial to us winning.”