Young arm ready to go the distance

By Corine Gatti The News Virginian
Published: July 22, 2008

Generals pitching coach Derek McDaniel did not hesitate to hand the ball to freshman hurler Jake Cowan late in the season.
“He just came to us and only played three games, but this kid is full of talent and has a live arm,” McDaniel said. “You can get pitchers at all different levels, you can get two-pitch guys and three-pitch guys, but when you have a variety of pitches like Jake has, it’s a lot less likely that the hitter is going to sit on one pitch. That makes him [Cowan] more defensive, which makes him a lot more effective.”
The University of Virginia pitcher was selected as the player of the week for his 5-2 victory over Covington, but Tuesday night, Cowan had no clue he had been recognized by the VBL.
“Really? That’s good. I can’t take a lot of credit for the way we’ve been playing because we have a great pitching staff. To me, a win is a win, and that’s all that matters,” Cowan said before Tuesday night’s game against Haymarket.
Results from Tuesday night’s game were not available at presstime.
After the Lumberjacks game on Sunday, some of Cowan’s teammates felt slighted.
“Jake is a really good athlete and has a lot of stamina,” McDaniel said. “That was the first and only complete game we had. Some pitchers got on me because I let him throw a lot of pitches. Usually, I cut them off when they get around 100 pitches. I let some go over and finish an inning because they were still strong, but from my perspective, I’m renting these guys. They’re not my property. I’m not going to wear a kid out.”
If it were up to Cowan, though, he would take the mound every night.
“A position player gets to take the field every day. When you’re a pitcher, you can’t do that,” Cowan said. “I just want to be out there and play, so I get over-anxious sometimes.”
McDaniel said too much ambition can be a problem with young players.
“Cowan would pitch every other night if I let him,” McDaniel said, laughing. “Yes, he’s young and he’s full of p—- and vinegar. It’s like the young buck that comes into the ring, and the old, wiry vet sitting back in the corner. At the same time you respect it, but at the same time, you want him to turn it down a little bit.”
Cowan (3-1) has a 2.86 ERA with 33 strikeouts this season. The right-hander will be the fourth starter in the five-man pitching rotation once the postseason starts. He will start on the road Thursday night when the Generals take on Harrisonburg.