By Micah Brown —
After losing seven players to the 2016 MLB Draft, the 2017 season appeared to be a rebuilding year for U of L baseball. Corey Ray, the fifth overall pick, was the toughest to replace because of his ability to chase down fly balls in the outfield and speed on the bases. Ray ended his 2016 season with team-highs in steals (44), home runs (15) and RBIs (60).
Coach Dan McDonnell called upon sophomore Josh Stowers to fill Ray’s role. Finishing his freshman season with only 13 at-bats, Stowers’ improvement led to a starting role for the left fielder.