Newsstand: How LB Drayk Bowen performed in his Notre Dame baseball debut
The Notre Dame baseball team was two innings away from securing a season-opening sweep against Rice University on Sunday. The Fighting Irish just needed speed on the base paths. So, coach Shawn Stiffler turned to Drayk Bowen.
The Notre Dame rising sophomore linebacker, Bowen, was a highly touted baseball recruit coming out of Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean in 2023. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 11 player and No. 3 shortstop in the state in his graduating class.
His baseball recruiting profile was strong enough to warrant a spot on the Fighting Irish baseball team. He started with the program last year, in what should have been his high school senior year. Bowen enrolled early in Spring 2023 to get a leg up on football. He also started his collegiate baseball career early, too, by joining the team.
Still, Bowen’s first baseball appearance did not come until a year later. He emerged on second base in the top of the seventh frame, with the score knotted at 7 during Sunday’s series finale.
Stiffler tapped the 6-foot-2, 244-pound Bowen as a pinch runner. His decision proved to be the right one. Bowen scored on a T.J. Williams single to left field to give the Irish the go-ahead 8-7 lead — their first of the game.
Although Notre Dame surrendered it in the bottom of the eighth, another five-run spurt in the ninth gave the Irish a 13-10 victory. Notre Dame won the first two games of the series 3-1 and 9-5.
The Irish have not started a season 3-0 since 2009, when they defeated Mississippi Valley State in a three-game series. Of course, Bowen’s debut run helped Notre Dame close out the first series of the 2024 season with a win.
While he’s already made a key contribution to the baseball team, Bowen’s football aspirations are even greater. He enters this spring battling for a starting role alongside Jack Kiser. Former Irish linebackers JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau forewent their final season of eligibility for the 2024 NFL Draft.
In Bowen’s freshman season on the gridiron, he appeared in 12 games and finished with 14 tackles. He was a key special teams contributor and played reserve snaps at linebacker.
Notre Dame Posts of the Weekend
Here is a look at Bowen’s go-ahead run.
Fellow two-sport athlete, Irish wide receiver Jordan Faison, had two goals in a 21-8 victory against Marquette on Sunday.
2025 three-star wide receiver recruit Shaun Terry from Ironton (Ohio) High gave the Irish a surprise verbal commitment on Sunday.
Notre Dame Quote of the Weekend
“The faith they have in me is what really stood out to me. And the love the coaching staff shows. I’ve had a great relationship with (wide receivers) Coach (Mike) Brown for about a year now and I put all my faith with me into him.”
— Terry on his decision to commit to Notre Dame.
