Owens continues pro career playing both ways for Rangers

Most high school baseball pitchers grew up hitting as well, but that normally stops at the next level. Unless it is Shohei Ohtani, or … Josh Owens. "He is a next Ohtani," said a smiling Porter Gobble, who pitched and hit at John Battle in Bristol, but is sticking to pitching at Walters State and with the Elizabethton River Riders. "I am not good enough to hit. It is extremely hard to do both and the fact that Josh is doing both is insane." A former Providence Academy standout and third round draft choice last July by the Texas Rangers, Josh is currently pitching and hitting while playing second base, shortstop and designated hitter for the Rangers in the Arizona Complex League. "He is still two-way," said Owens' father, Jeremy, an assistant coach at Providence Academy and manager of the River Riders in the Appalachian League. "The Rangers have been very flexible with him and been very patient in that role. The two-way role, it is unique of course, it is brand new." There have been very few major leaguers who have pitched and played the field, with the most prominent being Babe Ruth and Ohtani, a duo separated by nearly a century in time. "It is just a hard position to where they don't want to put him in the wrong situation," Jeremy said. "Any athlete wants more and they are protecting him and as a father figure I love that. He is doing really well down in Arizona, enjoying it. It was a dream of his to be able to get to that kind of level and now he is trying to become good enough to get to the next level." Jeremy Owens knows just how difficult professional baseball can be. He reached as high as the Triple-A level during a long professional career in the major league and independent league circuits. "I was lucky enough to play about nine years in the minor leagues and I played a lot of independent ball," Jeremy said. "That was my career, but I never had a bad day at work." Josh, who saw limited action in the Carolina League with the Hickory Crawdads last season, has pitched in 10 games, while playing shortstop in 10 games, eight at second base and 17 as a designated hitter. "It is so cool," Gobble said. "I played with Josh, it was a while ago in travel ball. He is a great kid, I love seeing all the accomplishments that he is doing and how good that he is hitting and pitching." He was batting .256 in 45 games in the Arizona Complex League, providing seven home runs, 26 runs batted in, 26 runs scored, 14 walks, four doubles and six stolen bases. He has also pitched in 10 games, drawing six starts, while posting a sterling 1.96 ERA, striking out 22 and walking just seven in 18 1/3 innings on the mound. The left-handed hitting Josh, who is 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, was raised on baseball, spending much of his younger life traveling to whatever city his father played in next. "When me and my wife, Wendy, had our kids, we basically home-schooled from the start because of the way travel was with me and we stayed together," Jeremy said. "Josh and my older son, Lucas, they were always in the clubhouse with me." It was Josh, who is now 19, who turned into the baseball player. "Josh found a way to pick up on things and he ended up being my athlete," Jeremy said. "He would mimic people, he would hit of course on the field with us. He has been around the game a long time already and doesn't even know it, but it was a lot of fun having him around." Jeremy, who reached the Triple-A level with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, has been pleased with the patience the Rangers have shown his son, who is playing on the other side of the country. "That the great thing with his opportunity and him being young, he has got time," Jeremy said. "We all see that baseball is getting younger and younger. I think it is really good that we don't rush these kids. "Being a two-way guy and playing in the middle infield and pitching, that is a tough combo. That is probably why the extra caution, but he is in good hands, they are paying attention to him and he takes it day by day." Jeremy said Texas has developed a routine for Josh so he will know when he will pitch, play in the field or just swing the bat. He has settled in, while dealing with the heat of Arizona that include day games on Saturday. "He is taking it one game at a time. It is a grind out there in Arizona right now," Jeremy said. "That 100-plus heat every day, but they are treating him well and he is having some success right now. "A lot of young men are looking for that opportunity to get a paycheck every two weeks and play ball at the same time. He gets to live that dream right now." *** *Former Science Hill and ETSU pitcher Landon Knack has returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers, while former Sullivan East and Walters State hurler Hunter Stratton has been demoted from the Pittsburgh Pirates to Triple-A Indianapolis. *Johnson City native B.J. Edwards has appeared in the last two NBA Summer League games with the Sacramento Kings. He had one point, two assists and a rebound in a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, and contributed five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes in a loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. *Former Gate City standout Mac McClung will have to wait until mid-August for his first appearance in the Shaqulle O'Neal-backed DUNKMAN professional dunking league. The first of four stages is slated for July 21, with McClung highlighting the fourth stage on Aug. 11. The championship round is slated for Aug. 25 for a grand prize of $500,000.