Former KSU commit Christian McGowan returns to Eastern

Article courtesy of the McAlester News-Capital. Visit mcalesternews.com

Eastern Oklahoma State College will see one of the nation's top rising stars return to the mound for the Mountaineers this spring.

Christian McGowan, a right-handed pitcher from Bokchito, Okla., began his freshman season at EOSC in the spring of 2019. He quickly rose up the ranks in the Mountaineer rotation, and ended up signing his intention to play with Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., after graduation from Eastern.

In his first six appearances in 2020, McGowan recorded four wins with 58 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA. However, the coronavirus pandemic cut short his sophomore season as the NJCAA made the decision to cancel spring sports. EOSC athletic director and head baseball coach Matt Parker said that left a lot of questions for his players, especially those in their second year.

"We just visited with our sophomores," Parker said during a News-Capital interview in April. "There was a lot of concern, and I said 'until we know what the rules are, we don't really know.'"

The NJCAA allowed an extra year of eligibility for spring athletes who saw their seasons cut short, opening the door for McGowan to return to EOSC.

Eastern baseball announced the move on its Twitter page, tweeting out the message "Welcome back, Christian McGowan!"

McGowan was named to the College Top 150 list by D1Baseball.com, and is known for his fastball that's been clocked at 97 mph.

Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.