Rhys Bowie
Sport: Baseball
School: Dwight-Englewood
Class: Sophomore. Age: 16
Accomplishment: Sparked the Bulldogs to a 4-0 week including upset wins over Paramus and Westwood in the Bergen County Tournament.
Story by Darren Cooper / NorthJersey.com
Rhys Bowie is on the baseball path.
The Dwight-Englewood sophomore led the Bulldogs to a pair of upset wins in the Bergen County Tournament last week.
The 16 year old credits a new training regimen he adopted during the offseason that has boosted his velocity on the mound and his approach at the plate.
“With my club team, the Northeast Supreme, we did a three-month program or so of pitching mechanic drills and power drills,” Bowie said. “That got my velocity up and also got my control and movement going.”
The Haworth resident has been in love with the sport of baseball since he was very young. He grew up in in New York City (the family moved here after sixth grade) and played Little League, and around 10 started playing on a club team.
He throws your standard four pitches when on the mound: a two-seam and four-seam fastball, a slider and a change-up.
“I think my strengths are my slider and my two-seamer because they complement each other,” Bowie said, “one breaking one way and one breaking the other. Out of my hands, my slider looks like my fastball, but it does the opposite, which it should.”
At the plate, Bowie tries to emulate New Jersey product and MLB superstar Mike Trout. I mean, who wouldn’t?
“I like his approach at the plate and his swing is very simple,” Bowie said. “I want to model my swing after that. I don’t want to do too much, just stay compact and to the ball.”
While not swinging a bat or pitching, Bowie likes to play golf with his friends. He doesn’t keep score though. He just likes the fresh air and having fun.
Bowie played a lot of different sports growing up, including soccer and basketball. He was on the Bulldogs soccer team last fall playing on the back row.
With the Bulldogs baseball program, Bowie has received tutelage from coach Frank Salvano Jr., who is quickly building a reputation as a star.
“I like playing for him,” Bowie said. “He will get on us when we do things wrong and he’s good at pushing us in the right direction. He always has good advice and he really knows what he’s doing. I think he’s made us all better.”
Bowie talks about his summer plans playing with his club team in the Southeast to get some college exposure and shyly admits that he’d love to be with a Division I program in five years, or maybe even be in line to be drafted.
“That would be a dream scenario,” Bowie said.
That’s the end of the baseball path for some. Bowie is just starting on his way.
