VIDEO MESSAGE FROM COACH BOWEN
This is the second entry in an occasional series from our spring head coaches.
UMBC baseball head coach Liam Bowen was set to start his first full season at the helm of UMBC baseball in 2020 after taking over late in the 2019 season. The Retrievers would drop the first five games of the Bowen era against UNC Charlotte and George Washington before giving Bowen his first career win 9-8 against Stetson in late February.
After losing the next four games, UMBC would win two of three, both at home during the early part of March against Penn State (10-5) and Coppin State (4-2). Then came the news that the rest of the 2020 campaign would be canceled, halting the first year of the Bowen era. Now the Retrievers have to continue to grow and improve remotely, but coach Bowen and his staff are committed to using this time to grow the program and develop the players any way they can.
****
Q- Discuss your team's reaction and response when Brian Barrio and the UMBC administrative team broke the news regarding the cancellation of the 2020 seasons.
Head Coach Liam Bowen: Of course, our guys were disappointed to have the 2020 season canceled. We all recognize what a joy and privilege it is to represent our school and losing that opportunity hurts. I am proud of how our guys handled it, though. I thought they did a good job of balancing their personal frustration with a recognition that this whole crisis is much bigger than college baseball. If shutting down our season keeps people healthy then we know what the right choice is, no matter how tough it is.
Q- What has been your connection level with the guys over the past week or so? Have you addressed them as a group (group text, e.g.), individually or a combination of the two?
Coach Bowen: It has been a combination of group texts, individual texts, phone calls, videos, and messages. We have tried to be creative and keep our group focused on growth. Playing a 13-game season instead of a 53-game season doesn't mean we have to stop growing. So, we have used a number of different methods to keep the guys moving forward in their development, as players and academically.
Q- Please describe 2019-20 UMBC baseball.
Coach Bowen: We were a young team that did not always have key players available, but I thought we were starting to show some promise. I think if you look at the way we played at Stetson and against Penn State there were some things to build on. We were going to have to keep getting better, but I expected us to compete well in the America East. We had a lot of players new to our level and they were just getting settled in when the season ended.
I will definitely miss coaching the group. Morale was great and the guys were working really hard. We had a ton of good days together that pushed us forward. We won't get to see the results of all that work for a while, but I know it is going to benefit us in the future.
Q- How are you balancing taking care of your family and keeping the pulse of potentially conflicted student-athletes during these trying times?
Coach Bowen: All of our families always come first. That goes for me, the coaching staff, the support staff and the players. I would never expect anyone in the program to drop a pressing need at home to work on UMBC Baseball. That is true regardless of the circumstance.
Beyond that, it is all of our jobs to stay connected and be clear about our priorities as long as this crisis continues. We have communicated what we expect to the guys:
1. Take care of your own health, your family's health and the health of your community the best you can
2. Continue to do your job academically
3. Stay connected to your teammates and grow as a player
We always tell our team that it is our job to play the hand we have been dealt the best we can, not to complain about the cards. We are getting a test in that right now and I expect us to come out fine on the other side.
Q- Are you altering your staff's roles during this time?
Coach Bowen: We certainly are not doing what we expected to be doing in late March, but we are still busy. We have spent a lot of time connecting with our guys and making sure that they are doing ok. Other time has been dedicated to long-range planning and putting us in the best position possible for fall practice.
More time than might be expected has been spent recruiting. We wanted to add a couple players to next year's roster over the course of the spring and that process has accelerated with the cancelation of the season. We have definitely gotten a lot better at video conferencing!
Q-Have you started to look ahead at what 2020-21 might look like?
Coach Bowen: As coaches, that is how we cope with the loss of this season. Nobody is happy that the world in crisis or that we can't play games, but it is an opportunity. Our future success depends on good planning today and this situation provides plenty of time to get ready. We have been taking advantage of the time to reflect, evaluate our process and make adjustments for the future. We will absolutely be ready to get the 2021 group together for the first time on August 31. Can't wait.
