WKU President's List (Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2017)
2017 (RS Senior): In his final season at WKU, Sowell ranked second with a 4.50 earned run average among pitchers who threw 10-plus innings ... Was 1-of-3 Hilltoppers with more strikeouts (34) than innings pitched (28) ... Led the club with four saves, while his 34 punchouts tied for third on the staff ... In a five-appearance stretch from April 9-18, he allowed only four hits in eight innings with 16 strikeouts; that span included a five-out save at Murray State on April 18 and a three-inning, scoreless outing with a career-high seven strikeouts, earning the win in WKU's crazy 22-17 decision at Austin Peay on April 25 ... Overall, faced 19 inherited runners and stranded 12 of them ... Ranked third with 18 relief appearances, 10 of which he did not allow a run ... Pitched two-plus innings in six of those appearances ... Was 1-of-2 Hilltopper pitchers who threw 10-plus innings and did not allow a homerun ... Named to the preseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Watch List.
2016 (RS Junior): Sowell thrived as WKU's primary closer in 2016, posting a team-best 2.36 earned-run average and eight saves ... His eight saves were the fifth-most in a single season by a Hilltopper as he worked 26.2 innings in 21 total appearances out of the bullpen ... If you take out his worst outing of the year at Southern Miss, Sowell would have finished with a 1.01 ERA and a .192 opposing batting average ... The hard-throwing righty racked up 35 strikeouts on the year, which comes out to 11.81 strikeouts per nine innings average ... His seven earned runs allowed on the season came in four contests, giving him 17 appearances where he did not allow an earned run ... Sowell went the month from Feb. 27 to March 27 without squandering an earned run, racking up saves against South Alabama, Lipscomb and two against Middle Tennessee ... He also recorded saves in victories against UAB, Evansville, Louisiana Tech and another over Lipscomb, while claiming his lone victory in the home game against Belmont.
2015 (RS Sophomore): Sowell returned from Tommy John surgery on April 15, 2015, exactly one year from the day of his 2014 operation ... He retired the Murray State side on six pitches in his first appearance since the surgery and went on to have an excellent second half of the season out of the WKU bullpen ... In nine appearances, Sowell sported the lowest ERA (1.00) and WHIP (1.00) of any Hilltopper pitcher ... No. 3 Louisville was the only team that was able to get a run off Sowell as he struck out five and only allowed four hits in nine innings of relief work.
2014 (Sophomore): Sowell struck out 11 batters and did not give up a single run in seven relief appearances before season-ending surgery ended his sophomore campaign in March ... He finished the season 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA, picking up a win against Big 10 opponent Illinois in a 1-0 shutout while dropping a March 12 decision at Georgia.
2013 (Freshman): Sowell made nine appearances during his rookie campaign, earning the starting nod in a pair of mid-week games versus Belmont and Lipscomb ... Started in his first-career appearance, striking out the side in the opening frame at Belmont on Feb. 26 ... Threw the best game of his season in a start against Lipscomb on March 20, working 4.0 innings, striking out a career-high five batters and surrendering no runs ... Saw action as a reliever in his other seven appearances, striking out at least one batter in each outing ... Sowell finished the year with 19 strikeouts in 13.2 innings.
At Bowling Green HS: Led Bowling Green High School to a district title and a berth in the regional championship in his senior season ... Went 8-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 2012, striking out 75 over 54.0 innings of work ... Named all-district in both 2011 and 2012 ... Started all four years at Bowling Green, while also lettering four years on the gridiron, helping the Purples to the 2011 football state title.
