Maryland baseball’s leading slugger is going back to his home state.
Ben Cowles was selected 303rd overall in the 10th round by the New York Yankees. Cowles was one of only two Terps selected in the 2021 MLB Draft, after Sean Burke went to the Chicago White Sox in the third round.
His selection comes after a season in which Cowles broke out with a .287/.409/.632 slash line and slugged 18 homers to lead the Big Ten. That mark ranks fourth-highest in program history.
One of the more dominant stretches of his season saw him hit five home runs in Maryland’s second series of the year against Rutgers.
[Maryland pitcher Sean Burke selected by White Sox in third round of MLB Draft]
Cowles’ 2021 performance earned him several accolades. He was a Baseball America Third Team All-American, First Team All-Big Ten and ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region First Team.
Cowles will be a senior, so he will have to choose between going pro with the Yankees organization and staying with the Terps.
“I was really hoping Ben Cowles would be back here for his senior year,” coach Rob Vaughn said in April. “If he keeps hitting homers, I’m not sure that’s gonna happen … he’s been dynamite for our team.”
