Southern Miss pitching ace Barry Bowden proved on Friday that he was not only among the best pitchers in Conference USA, but is gaining recognition as one of the nation’s better hurlers.
He went up against Rice All-American right-hander Ryan Berry last Friday in Houston and walked away the winner in a 1-0 game, putting his team in position to be the first C-USA squad to win a series against the Owls since the Houston-based college joined the league in 2005.
Bowden, a native of Vidalia, La., pitched 8.2 innings and struck out 10 Rice batters in the outing as he has gone 5-1 with 45 strikeouts and a 1.47 ERA in six starts this season for the Golden Eagles (17-8), who host Troy today at 6:30 p.m.
“The main thing is just confidence,” Bowden said of his strong start to his senior campaign. “Every time I go back out on the mound, it just builds up confidence.”
Bowden took the huge win over Rice in stride as he kept his usual calm demeanor, which benefits him greatly in big games. Coach Corky Palmer believes Bowden’s unflappable personality plays a big role in his pitcher’s success.
