Riley Gowens remembers the count, the pitch and its location.
“A 3-2 fastball right down the middle,” Gowens said.
The Libertyville senior right-handed pitcher was working on a no-hitter at Lake Forest on April 17. There were two out in the seventh inning when he delivered that pitch.
Griffin Strang singled for the Scouts’ first hit.
“I knew I had the no-hitter going,” Gowens said. “I wasn’t really focused on it, but once (Strang) had the hit, I was like, ‘Dang.’”
Gowens exited after pitching 6 2/3 innings. And what a performance it was. The Illinois commit allowed just the one hit and had a career-high 16 strikeouts.
“That was a really special game,” Gowens said.
It was a special season for Gowens, the News-Sun Baseball Player of the Year.
He had a 9-1 record and allowed just two earned runs all season. He set the program record with a 0.30 ERA.
“Riley had an unbelievable season,” Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. “I have not seen someone dominate on the mound with such consistency.”
Gowens allowed 16 hits in his 47 innings. He had 87 strikeouts and 11 walks. Opponents batted just .106.
“My mindset is if there are guys on base or not on base, I treat it all the same,” Gowens said. “I try to keep my heart rate down. My sophomore or junior year, I let the moments get the best of me. I would try to live up for the hype and the big moments.
“Senior year, I knew we had a great team. I was going to let my team make the plays and if I could get an out myself, I would. I tried to stay calm and in the moment. The reasons I had so much success were staying calm and also the most dedication I put in the offseason.”
He incorporated the workout habits of minor league pitchers Brendan Murphy and Ryan Borucki, both of Mundelein, while preparing for his senior season.
“Everything that happened this year sprouted from my work ethic in the offseason,” Gowens said. “I knew I had good stuff, but I hadn’t completely put it together in the offseason and I really got my dedication together and figured it out.”
Gowens and Valparaiso commit Colin Fields were a dominating one-two combination at the top of Libertyville’s rotation, as the Wildcats (28-10, 15-3) won the North Suburban Conference championship.
Gowens had two games with 14 strikeouts to go along with the 16 strikeouts against Lake Forest. Both earned runs allowed came against Mundelein.
“I’m a perfectionist,” Gowens said. “In college, it will have to change a little bit because hits will happen and home runs will happen because you’ll face better hitters. In high school, my goal was to dominate every single pitch. If I gave up a hit, that was one of the most frustrating feelings.”
His season came to an early end after an injury in Libertyville’s first playoff game. He’s already starting training at Illinois.
“I’m working for an opportunity at a national championship, a Big Ten championship and hopefully professional baseball,” Gowens said. “Everything I do has a purpose.”
That approach led to a senior season he’ll always remember.
“It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had,” Gowens said. “Getting to see some of my best friends grow and all of them have great seasons, it was awesome for me to watch it happen. It was always about the memories we had.
“A lot of memories that I’m not going to forget. I’m thankful for every second of it.”