Peyton
Rowles

Getting the start at SS, the San Jose State commit impressed on both sides of the ball before moving to the mound later in the game. Hitting out of the leadoff spot, Rowles put up 4 competitive AB’s on the day, consistently making hard contact in the win over College Park. After just missing a 1-2 FB up in the zone and flying out to CF to open the game in his first AB, Rowles would leadoff the top of the 3rd by sending a first pitch FB inside down the 3rd base line for a double. In his third AB, Rowles would come back from a 0-2 count to work it full, before smoking a hard grounder to SS for an inning-ending double play. Rowles would end his day by smoking another grounder down the line, this time towards the 1st base side, with the 1B making a nice play on the ball and turning two. At the plate, Rowles demonstrates an all-fields approach, with the a swing that works quick through the zone. The load is a bit long, as it incorporates both a toe-tap and a leg kick. With quick hands and a strong front side, however, Rowles regularly makes quality contact. Defensively, Rowles looks sound at SS, displaying good range to both his left and right and added a nice sliding stop to end the bottom of the 1st. Rowles would move the mound in the bottom of the 6th, with a runner on first, and would pitch into extras to finish out the win for Benicia. Pitching efficiently across his outing (24 strikes on 33 pitches), Rowles would finsih with a final line of 3 IP, 1 H, 2 K, 0 BB, and 0 R. The senior relied heavily on a FB/SL mix, while also flashing a CH against LHH. The FB (82-86 MPH, T87) showed natural arm-side run and was spotted well in all four quadrants of the zone. The SL (68-70 MPH) displayed good sweeping action, with Rowles being confident to throw it in the zone against both sides. Rowles pairs a low ¾ slot with good extension to create an effective FB/SL tunnel, getting several called strikes with both offerings. The CH (79-80) wasn’t thrown too often, but was an effective out pitch against LHH, showing good arm-side fade and generating a few whiffs. Showcasing solid tools on both sides of the ball, I am curious to see how Rowles is deployed as he advances to the next level.