TT Bowens Signs Free Agent Deal with Baltimore Orioles
Bowens helped CCSU win a pair of conference titles.
TT Bowens of the Central Connecticut baseball team signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. The 2020 MLB Draft was only five rounds, leaving qualified draft-eligible players available to sign with MLB teams or return to their college teams. Bowens was one of the top sluggers in the Northeast Conference and helped the Blue Devils to a pair of Northeast Conference championships during his career.
"This is a great opportunity and obviously I'm really excited," said Bowens. "Its unfortunate that this season got cut short, but I had great memories at CCSU. I look forward to this opportunity and what the future holds."
"This is well-deserved accomplishment for TT and a testament to his hardwork," head coach Charlie Hickey said. "TT never lost sight of his goals and worked to get this chance. He set an example for everyone in our program with his work ethic and we will look forward to following his career and what he achieves. It also shows that if you put in the time and effort to take advantage of the opportunities you receive, people will notice."
Bowens, a redshirt junior, posted a career .306 batting average and hit 13 homeruns with 72 runs batted in across 96 career games. He added 66 runs scored and collected a total of 41 extra-base hits. He powered CCSU to the 2017 NEC Championship and an NCAA bid as a rookie when he hit .636 with a 1.363 slugging percentage to earn Most Valuable Player honors. Bowens returned from an injury to play the final 32 games of the 2019 season and batted .376 with a .640 slugging percentage. Bowens hit five homers and drove in 26 runs, while earning All-NEC Second Team honors. He was also named to the NEC All-Tournament Team after powering the Blue Devils to another NEC title. Bowens hit a three-run homerun and drove in five runs at fifth-ranked Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament opener. He would also help CCSU post its first NCAA win with a victory over #24 California the next day.
Bowens boosted his profile with an outstanding summer with the Mystic Schooners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2019. He was named the Top Pro Prospect and Rick Ligi MVP, along with earning NECBL First Team honors and Al-Star Game recognition. Bowens set the NECBL record with 53 RBIs during the season and hit a league-high 16 homeruns and had a .331 average in 39 games played. At the homerun derby on All-Star Night, Bowens launched 40 homeruns, including 24 in the championship round.
Bowens becomes the 10th Blue Devil over the past six seasons to sign with professional organizations. He is also the fifth member of the 2017 NEC championship squad to go on to join the professional ranks.
