Jacob Bowles makes Southern Indiana his home plate.

Bowles signed to the University of Southern Indiana to continue his baseball career.

Bowles has been working towards this long-term goal for an extended period of time. USI’s campus and baseball program ultimately drove him to choose them. Overall, Bowles expects to be pushed hard and to work hard.

Senior year is the time to show yourself. Bowles has been working hard all throughout his time at Bullitt East.Through the years, Bowles has shown himself and made a great addition to the team.

Bowles teammate Brayden Blair said, “He is a very great player with great determination. Jacob will do anything to help the team.”

In 2002, when Bowles was just five years old, he developed a love for the game. From then on, he kept playing. During his seventh grade year, Bowles joined Bullitt East’s freshman team. Due to experience and hard work, he later received varsity playing time as a sophomore. Everything Bowles has done to improve himself has worked to his advantage this year.

Choosing one school to commit to is difficult and very stressful. The journey looking for the perfect school began in July. When everything was said and done in late October, Bowles decided the University of Southern Indiana was the best choice for him.

“The campus is beautiful, and the success their baseball program has had [drove me to choose USI]. Watching them win a national championship made me want a chance to do that one day,” said Bowles.

Jeff Bowles, head baseball coach and Jacob’s father, said, “I think it was a tough decision. He [Jacob] really liked both Spalding and Bellarmine as well. They are both good schools along with fine baseball programs and our family developed good relationships with their coaching staffs. It came down to what was really the best ‘fit’ for Jacob both academically and athletically. I feel he made a good decision.”

Matt Bowles, Jacob’s older brother, currently plays at USI. Since he has been there, Matt helped drive the team towards a national championship.

Jacob stated, “He [Matt] didn’t push me to go to USI at all. He wanted to do what was best for me, and USI happened to be the best option.”

With every decision made towards the future, nerves and anxiety trail behind. Ultimately, Bowles knows what will be expected of him: to work hard and play harder. Thirteen years doing anything is a long time, especially one specific sport. Bowles will use this time to his advantage at Southern Indiana.