Wilson: McDowell found mojo in breakout season with Oregon State

Okotoks Dawgs outfielder Micah McDowell (Coldbrook, N.S.) steps to the plate against the Moose Jaw Miller Express in 2022. Photo: Ian Wilson

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on January 19. You can read it here.

January 21, 2024

By Ian Wilson

Alberta Dugout Stories

He’s polite, mild mannered and a seemingly all-around nice guy.

Micah McDowell is at his best on the diamond, however, when he taps into his nasty side.

“I remember freshman and sophomore year didn’t go the way he planned, he had an injury in there as well and trying to come back from that, but I remember that transition of him going from kind of passive and unsure to, ‘I’m a bad man.’ Here we go,” said Mitch Canham, the head coach of Oregon State University’s baseball program.

“This is a guy we’ve been waiting to come out of his shell and just watching him progress through the season offensively, on the bases, on defence, just playing like he is the baddest dude on the field. It’s just so fun to watch. And then that carrying into the offseason and him wanting to go out and play and building strong relationships with the guys, coming out of his shell.”

Canham – who brought his players north of the border to Seaman Stadium Complex in Okotoks for a training camp in September of 2023 – was reflecting on McDowell’s breakout campaign at OSU and looking ahead to the outfielder’s roadmap to success for the 2024 season.

The Dawgs Academy graduate began his turnaround from an underwhelming 2022 season in the Pac-12 Conference that saw him play in just 13 games and post a .147 batting average when he returned to Alberta to play in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL).

Back in the red-and-white colours he wore throughout high school, McDowell found solid footing on the outfield grass of Seaman Stadium. In 34 regular season games, the Nova Scotian went 25-for-30 on the base paths, while batting .381 with 30 runs and 24 runs batted in (RBIs).

The lefty hitter continued to play well during the WCBL postseason, offering up stellar defence while collecting 11 hits and 10 RBIs in seven contests, as the Dawgs marched to their sixth championship in franchise history.

The successful summer set the table for McDowell when he returned to Corvallis, Ore., to play for the Beavers last year. With the departure of Jacob Melton, who was selected by the Houston Astros in the second round of the MLB Draft, McDowell took over as the regular centre fielder for OSU.

“He didn’t even start right out the gate, right, and then he gets an opportunity for an at-bat, crushes the ball and you can just see his demeanor running across the field and it’s like, hey, this isn’t that old guy we saw,” noted Canham.

“The attitude and him being around other guys like (San Francisco Giants outfielder and OSU alum) Wade Meckler and Melton and Garret Forrester (an infield prospect of the Pittsburgh Pirates), all these guys around him, and you start to become who you surround yourself with and it’s been beautiful watching him make that transition last year.”

That transition included a 56-game stretch for OSU that was highlighted by a .342 batting average, 47 RBIs, 16 doubles, seven homers and 15 stolen bases.

“Once you start to see the results, start to see that average up and a couple home runs, a couple doubles, it really allows you to play loose and play to the best of your abilities,” said McDowell.

When the offseason came around, McDowell didn’t know what to expect from the upcoming MLB Draft. Despite his stellar 2023 season, he didn’t have a lengthy track record of production at the college level.

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Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Micah McDowell here.

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“I took about two to three weeks off after the season, just to kind of reflect and give my body a little rest. It was the first full season I played in a really long time so the rest and recovery was really important for me,” said the WCBL All-Star.

“Then I came back to Okotoks leading up to the draft just to get some workouts in and be around some friends and some coaches here that have been with me the whole ride.”

Instead of suiting up for the Dawgs, McDowell watched some of the games from the stands.

“It was fun to just watch and see some other guys compete but you always want to be out there,” he said.

DRAFT DAZE

As the calendar flipped from June to July, McDowell admitted to some anxiety about the draft.

“There’s definitely a lot of nerves. The guys that go through the draft process know that you never really know where you’re going to go until you get the call … but I was hearing all kinds of things,” said McDowell, who wears No. 12 for the Beavers.

He leaned on family members and his baseball friends – including Dawgs Academy GM Tyler Hollick, Meckler, Melton and Gavin Logan, another Dawgs/OSU alumni – to navigate the draft, which took place in Seattle from July 9 to July 11.

“Asking them what they went through and what kind of calls they got and stuff like that really helped and helped me keep a level mind. You get too high up and you get your hopes up too much and you get that let down and it doesn’t feel too good,” said McDowell, who did not have his name called during the 20 rounds of the selection process.

“I was just grateful I was able to go out and have a great year and put myself in that position. I got a couple calls, but being treated as a grad transfer it’s kind of tough to get the money that you want and the round that you want, so I think the best option for me was just coming back, being able to get my masters at Oregon State, which is huge for my future … I’m content with it. I’m happy to be back for another year at Oregon State.”

McDowell takes part in fall training camp drills with his OSU teammates at Seaman Stadium in mid-September of 2023. Photo: Ian Wilson

Canham put a positive spin on the experience, saying it will provide added motivation for McDowell in the year ahead.

“Not being picked up in the draft put that extra bit of fire in him to go, ‘You know what? I’m gonna go out and give everything I’ve got. I’m going to do it again. I’m not going to let people, or the draft or anything else make me waver from what is my purpose, go out and win,'” said the former catcher.

McDowell isn’t thinking about the draft now. He’s focused on helping the Beavers claim a College World Series title in Omaha, Neb., in June.

BUZZY BEAVERS

“We’ve got a really good group. It’s going to be exciting and I think we’re going to be able to make an Omaha run this year,” he said.

“We brought in a bunch of new arms, a bunch of new guys who are really going to help us this year. There’s a lot of hype around this team, which is super cool … one through nine and even beyond that, it’s a really deep team with the bat and defensively.”

McDowell is urging college baseball fans to keep an eye on the talented middle infield on their NCAA Division 1 squad.

“They’re going to bring a lot of excitement. We have a shortstop transfer from Washington State, Elijah Hainline. He’s unreal, swings it really well. You also get to watch a first rounder second baseman who could be a potential top five pick in this upcoming draft from Australia,” boasted McDowell of his roommate Travis Bazzana.

McDowell said he’s constantly picking Bazzana’s brain on how to improve on and off the field.

McDowell (left) and Travis Bazzana (right) wait to get some rounds of batting practice in at Seaman Stadium. Photo: Ian Wilson

“He does it so easily at a high level. You just want to take what you can from that guy. He’s super personable and he loves giving feedback and honest opinions,” said McDowell.

“I think he’s really pushed me … even when it comes to nutrition and diet, off-field stuff. He’s just a guy you want around because he brings you up and makes you a better person.”

As for his own game, McDowell would like to add some weight, hit for more power, and do everything he can to stay healthy for another season. He’s also focused on what’s happening between his ears.

“Really looking at the mental side and what I need to do to be ready to go out there and just play loose to the best of my ability and not let my mind hold my abilities back, so just the confidence aspect,” he said.

If he can do that, McDowell expects to maintain the good parts of his game, and possibly dip into a bit of his bad side when he needs it.