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Dans Pitcher Has Near-Perfect Game, Named Pitcher of the Week

July 11, 2017 - Prospect League (Prospect)
Danville Dans News Release

DANVILLE, IL - Ryan Gowens was cruising through the Springfield Sliders lineup last Saturday night.

Through 5.2 innings he had faced the minimum number of batters, striking out 13 batters of the 17 to that point - including fanning the side in both the first and fourth innings. Then Westville native and Danville Area Community College product Mark Strebin got an infield single on a slow roller down the third base line. That hit, and a walk in the 7th inning, were the only blemishes on a near-perfect game for the University of Arizona senior-to-be right-hander.

His efforts were recognize with the Prospect League naming Gowens the Pitcher of the Week this week. He added another strike out in the 7th for a total of 14 Ks - the most by a Dans pitcher since Nick Rumbelow (LSU) threw that many against Hannibal in June, 2011. His teammates backed up the pitching gem with a 9-0 offensive output to take the second game of a doubleheader and sweep the Springfield Sliders.

On the season, Gowens is 1-2 in six starts. He's thrown a total of 27.2 innings, with 43 strikeouts, good for eighth in the Prospect League (but third on the Dans staff), and has given up 18 walks.

He is the second Dans pitcher to be honored by the Prospect League. Zach Eschberger (Henderson State) was named the top pitcher for Week 3 of this season.

The Danville Dans are in their 30th season of wooden bat summer college baseball. The Dans are a founding member of the Prospect League, which was formed from the long-time Central Illinois Collegiate League - CICL. The have had nearly 200 players go on to play professional baseball - including 27 former Dans that have put on a major league uniform.

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Prospect League Stories from July 11, 2017

Dans Pitcher Has Near-Perfect Game, Named Pitcher of the Week - Danville Dans

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