Over winter break, we’ve had lots of college athletes in the facility training and getting ready for their spring 2025 season. Usually, athletes are provided a training plan and program from their college coaches so that they can stay on track and be prepared to hit the ground running upon returning. But most athletes also use this time to get a fresh perspective from other coaches and check in on how their fall went. I always look forward to the winter to see familiar faces back in the facility after 4 months away.
Owen recently made the quick transition from Athlete to Coach - just last spring he was pitching in the West Coast Conference playoffs in Las Vegas for the Saint Mary’s Gaels. But by August he was hired as a Pitching Strategist for the University of Arizona and has been working alongside the coaching staff to develop pitchers at their state of the art pitching lab.
Owen is from the Sacramento area and had an opportunity to get his start in D1 baseball at Abilene Christian University in Texas. From there he transferred to Saint Mary’s where he was a relief pitcher from 2022-2024. During his time at SMC he completed his undergrad degree in Biology and also received a Master’s in Management and Technology.
During college Owen built his coaching chops doing private lessons and also coaching Ballplayers 15U summer team in 2023 while receiving great feedback from players and families about his interactions and knowledge he was able to arm his players with.
Owen working with University of Oregon pitcher Jason Reitz in December
As soon as his college season was over, Owen dabbled in some independent professional baseball, including throwing a NO HITTER with 14 strikeouts this summer for the San Rafael Pacifics! While playing in the summer, he was actively looking for an assistant coaching role at several universities and ended up with the great opportunity to join the staff at U of A in their first year moving from the Pac 10 to the Big 12.
He’s been able to combine his playing background, analytical skills, and understanding of new technology and methodologies to be able to apply new concepts and help U of A pitchers throw harder, become more efficient with their mechanics, and ultimately perform better on the field.
Pitching Lab at University of Arizona Baeball
Owen is just getting started in his coaching career, but he’s off to a blistering start and I look forward to hearing more about the groundbreaking work he’s doing down in Tuscon.