RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Just when it seems that the off-season transfer rush has calmed down, another major player has made a switch in the Pac-12.
Oregon Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi announced on Monday that Terra McGowan, ranked as the No. 21 player in the 2018 Extra Elite 100, had signed with Oregon after spending the first half of her freshman year at Arizona State.
In a release issued on the Oregon site, Coach Lombardi said:
“Terra has a strong presence about her that will make her a great leader for this team. She can hit for power, runs well and will do a tremendous job of handling our pitching staff and controlling the running game. Duck fans are going to love watching Terra the next four years.”
McGowan is expected to offset the loss of another transfer, Mary Iakpopo, who announced in December she was transferring to Texas–one of four Duck players from last year who followed previous head coach Mike White to the University of Texas.
The newest member of the Oregon team was considered one of the top catchers in her class and helped the OC Batbusters-Stith 18U team make it to the PGF National Championship game this past summer after winning titles at the Team NJ Classic and the Boulder Independence Day Tournament.
McGowan had a huge week at PGF Nationals and was selected by Extra Inning Softball and SoCalSidelines.com as a member of the PGF Nationals All-Tournament team.
She helped the Batbusters win two “IF” games against the Corona Angels to get to the championship and in the deciding semi-final victory had a triple and home run off of Megan Faraimo, the outstanding UCLA freshman who was recently selected to the USA Softball Jr. National Team.
McGowan was so hot in that game that the Angels intentionally walked her and the next day in the championship game she had a two RBI single, although the Batbusters would lose to the Georgia Impact-Lewis team to finish second.
As a senior at Mission Viejo (California) High, she was equally impressive at the plate, hitting .540 with seven home runs.
A few weeks before PGF Nationals, Extra Inning Softball profiled the outstanding senior…. here’s our interview with her seven months ago…
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2018 Elite 100 Player Spotlight: Terra McGowan Ready for the Summer… With Friends!
(originally published June 23, 2018 on Extra Inning Softball)
Mike Stith’s OC Batbusters 18U team will be one of the favorites to go all the way in every summer event it enters because of great depth at every positions—especially catcher.
The Batbusters have the most talented and deep corps of backstops in club ball with a pair of the top junior catchers in the nation in Sharlize Palacios (Arizona commit) and Kinzie Hansen (Oklahoma-bound and rated by many as the top 2019 prospect at ANY position).
But the seniors behind the plate are outstanding as well and rated in the Top 30 of the Extra Sports Softball Elite 100 with Colleen Sullivan (UCLA) and Terra McGowan (Arizona State).
Mike Stith told us a few weeks ago, “We’re very deep at catcher and I told all of them that they’ll be playing other positions—there won’t just be one player getting all the innings.”
With four elite catching prospects—who are getting time at first base in Hansen, Palacios and Sullivan’s cases and outfield for McGowan—you’d think there might be resentment, but it appears to be the opposite, at least according to Terra.
When asked about her thoughts in playing her final club season and what it means to be on the Batbusters, she commented: “
I am most excited to spend the whole summer traveling with some of my best friends. It’ll be fun to compete with them and hang out off the field as well!
Chemistry… it’s much discussed, but hard to achieve, but in the Batbusters’ situation, having four talented catcher standouts willing to do what’s best for the team may make the difference in the Anaheim-based program winning yet more national championships.
Here’s a closer look at Terra, who has had to battle back from an arm injury suffered last year, but looks to be back full-strength and poised for a great close to her prep and club careers…
NAME: TERRA McGOWAN
Hometown/ST: Mission Viejo, California
Grad Year: 2018
Position(s): catcher/left field
Club Team: OC Batbusters – Stith
High School (City/ST): Mission Viejo High
GPA: 3.8
College: Arizona State
When committed? Fall of 2014
Height: 5-foot-8
Top Honors/Accomplishments: Ranked as the #21 player in the Extra Inning Softball Elite 100 (Class of 2018); three-time 1st team All-League; 2016 CIF Champion, 2016 All- Orange County team; Scholar-Athlete; four-year varsity player
Key High School or Club Stats: batted .540 with seven home runs as a senior
Other Sports? Used to play club soccer
Other Universities Considered: Oregon, Washington
Preferred College Major: Criminal Psychology
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It’s a big transition time for the graduating seniors as you get ready for college… your thoughts?
Overall, I’m extremely excited to graduate and finally be in Arizona. Obviously, I’m going to miss my family but I know they’ll be supporting me in Tempe as often as they can
Will you have time to celebrate your finishing up at Mission Viejo High when you graduate on June 14 or will you jump right into club softball?
My “big” graduation plans are going to practice the following weekend and traveling all summer with my team!
Looking back on your high school/club career what’s been your favorite experience or experiences, both in softball and off the field?
My favorite experience would have to be winning CIF my sophomore year because we were the underdogs and off the field it probably would just be traveling all over the country with an amazing group of girls.
Have you started getting ready for Arizona State and transitioning to moving there?
I recently had orientation at Arizona State, so everything’s fresh in my mind and I am just so excited to finally be wearing maroon and gold and just being able to finally play at Farrington stadium.
Do you remember the moment when you knew you’d end up being a Sun Devil?
As soon as I stepped on the dirt at Farrington Stadium, I knew that ASU is where I was meant to be.
What do you think it was about your game or talents on the field that resulted in your getting the ASU offer?
I think one of my main strengths on the field is how vocal I am and my ability to communicate with my teammates, also being able to not let a bad at-bat or an error affect me.
What’s going to be your focus on improving this summer?
Before going into freshman year I really want to work on breaking down my swing and fully understanding every aspect of it.
What’s the best advice you’re ever received?
The best advice I’ve ever received is that softball is a game of failures and you’re going to fail more than you succeed and you have to learn how to deal with the failure in order to succeed.
If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be on-field? Off the field?
On the field I’d describe myself as “outgoing” and on the field I’d say I’m a” leader.”
What worries you most about what your generation of teenagers are facing now in the world or in the future?
The thing that worries me most about my generation is that we are losing the sense of having deep and personal connections with people, we rely on our phones and social media to do that for us.
How tough was it with having to come back from the arm injury suffered last year?
The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome was probably getting an arm injury last fall and having to rehab it for about a year just to be able to throw without pain
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would be your celebrity choice?
It would probably be Blake Lively.
What’s something you love to do when away from softball?
I am obsessed with true crime novels and am extremely interested in the criminal psychology field.
EXTRA INSIGHTS:
Favorite holiday: Halloween.
Favorite concert/show you’ve ever been to: Blink 182.
Thing you’ll miss most about high school: the dances.
Thing you’ll miss least about high school: the bathrooms!
Dream vacation? Greece.
Biggest pet peeve? when people chew gum with their mouths open.
Favorite motto/phrase: “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”
Thing you wouldn’t be caught dead doing? Owning a cat.
What’s the one song, book or movie title that best describes you? “Glimmer” by Mako Road