Bowen placed on All-CIF second team
The panel of coaches and media members who selected the all-California Interscholastic Federation teams placed Ramona High School’s Hanah Bowen on the second team for softball.
Bowen was selected to the all-CIF second team as a pitcher. She plays third base for the Bulldogs when another Ramona player is on the mound.
“I was really excited that I made it,” said Bowen, who will start her senior year at Ramona High next month.
The panel placed 15 athletes on the first team, which allows for pitchers who play other positions to earn at-large berths, and 15 on the second team.
“Either team is such an honor to make,” said Ramona coach Kristina Wright. “Getting recognized for all-CIF shows the player she is. Hanah’s such a talented pitcher and just an awesome athlete.”
Bowen started 20 of Ramona’s 28 regular-season games and posted a 16-2 record with six shutouts, two no-hitters and a 1.02 earned run average. She allowed 57 hits and 21 walks in 110-1/3 innings and struck out 112 batters. Only four of the hits she allowed were for extra bases and none were home runs.
Bowen’s batting activity for 2016 included a .402 average with 33 hits in 82 at-bats, 14 walks drawn for a .490 on-base percentage, and a slugging percentage of .597, which involved eight doubles, a triple, and two home runs. Bowen only struck out twice in her 100 plate appearances. She scored 19 runs while driving in 24, and she stole four bases.
“It was a good season. I’m very proud of my team,” Bowen said. “Everybody worked hard and they did very well.”
Ramona’s regular-season record was 25-3; two CIF Open Division playoff wins and two playoff losses gave the Bulldogs a final record of 27-5. The second post-season loss was to Poway in the Open Division semifinal.
“It was a good game,” Bowen said.
The Bulldogs had a 10-0 record in Valley League play. Bowen was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year.
“That was pretty exciting,” she said.
Bowen was also an all-CIF second team selection in 2015, when her pitching statistics included a 12-5 win-loss record, a 1.27 earned run average, and 103 strikeouts and her offensive production included a .481 batting average, five home runs, and 39 runs driven in.
Bowen was named Valley League Player of the Year last year. This year the Valley League coaches selected Sara Whelehon, who graduated Ramona High last month, as the league’s Player of the Year.
“Sara deserved it. She works hard,” Bowen said.
The increased presence of Bowen on the mound reflected a different contribution emphasis this year.
“It worked out pretty good. I think I did better this year than last year,” she said.
Bowen attended Ramona Community School from kindergarten through sixth grade and Olive Peirce Middle School for seventh and eighth grades before beginning her Ramona High School experience. She was on the Valley League first team as a freshman as well as for her sophomore and junior seasons. Bowen began her softball career at the T-ball level when she was 5 and initially participated in the Ramona Girls Softball organization. She has been playing travel ball for four years, initially with the SoCal Breakers and most recently with the Batbusters who practice in Orange County.
Bowen credits Ramona’s coaches for her CIF season success.
“They really pushed us,” she said. “We worked hard as a team. I just thought we had a very good season this year.”