Rachel Cowan was trying to avoid crashing directly into the head of her opponent’s first baseman when she hyperextended her knee, tearing her meniscus and abruptly ending her season.
It was March 22, an away game against St. Francis (Ill.), Cowan’s 22nd as part of the Crimson Pride. Despite the tough finish, Cowan has a lot to be proud of with a .351 batting average, .409 on-base percentage and .474 slugging percentage.
“Rachel is one of my most consistent power hitters,” said Head Coach Tommi Stowers. “She shows up, she gives it her all. Even though she’s just a freshman, she’s a clear leader on the team, and she’s very well-liked by her teammates.”
In addition to having the highest batting average on the team, Cowan is a starting pitcher. “She’s a strike-out pitcher and the whole team feeds off Rachel’s energy,” Stowers added.
But it almost didn’t happen.
Last year, as an all-conference player, MVP and team captain at Columbus North, Cowan had already committed to a Division 3 school in Lexington when Stowers approached her about IUPUC’s brand-new program. “Suddenly I had an opportunity to play with girls I already knew, who I had great chemistry with,” Cowan said. “Plus, it was a chance to stay close to home. And I liked the more personalized, supportive feel of a smaller campus.”
Cowan decommitted from the other school and never looked back. “I’m so glad I decided to come to IUPUC,” she added.
These days, she says when she’s pitching, she can sense the rest of her IUPUC teammates, especially Taylor Hadley in the outfield. “They all have my back!” When she feels a strikeout coming (she had 44 this season), she and Taylor (she calls her “T”) swing their arms in a circle and indicate the number of outs.
It’s clear Cowan has deeply bonded with her team, including those she didn’t know beforehand. She says she’s looking forward to building on that camaraderie in the coming years with the Crimson Pride. Plus, next season she’ll light up the field alongside a teammate she knows extremely well: Her younger sister, Kaylee Cowan.