by Ivy Milne
With a conference championship under their belt, the Central Connecticut baseball team has been itching to begin their spring season, and defend their title.
Sophomore TT Bowens is especially excited for the season to begin and to get back to the game. Bowens, being named the MVP of the Northeast Conference Tournament last season after his superb performance in the three games played in the tournament, is an essential player on the roster.
“Of course there’s a little bit,” Bowens said when asked if the title would bring on any extra pressure. “However, being in a small conference with not a ton of media and crazy pressure allows me and the rest of the team to stay relaxed and stay focused on the game.”
The team welcomes nine new players this year that cover a wide variety of positions that will hopefully benefit the team and its standings as a whole.
When asked about the freshmen, Bowens said he “feels good about them” and that “many of them will have a good impact on the team this year.”
“There’s about three or four of them that are definitely looking at a lot of good playing time and will hopefully make a big difference in our season,” Bowens said.
Bowens, who had quite the season last year, is looking forward to another exciting and successful few months.
When asked if there is anything specific he is looking forward to in the upcoming season, Bowens said, without hesitation, “winning another championship,” is at the top of the list.
Last season, Bowens earned his title as MVP of the NEC Tournament after he hit .636 with a 1.363 slugging percentage during the three games.
This season, Bowens says the key thing he has been keeping up with in order to have a great season is simply “putting in work daily and trying not to take any time off.”
Bowens and the rest of the CCSU baseball team open their season on Feb. 23, in Port Charlotte, Florida against North Dakota State.