Dowling Looks Forward To Academics, Baseball At Harvard

AVON, Ct. - Brian Dowling grew up a Boston Red Sox fan. Now the Avon Old Farms High School junior will have an opportunity to pitch just a short distance away from Fenway Park after a college commitment to Harvard.

“I know it’s going to be tough but I’m excited for it,” Dowling said about the challenges of playing athletics at a prestigious school like Harvard. “It has both of the things I want, world-class academics and a pretty good baseball program.”

The promising left-handed pitcher pointed to reclassifying as a major help in the recruiting process.

“I did two sophomore years,” Dowling noted. “My size the first sophomore year was 6-2 and 150-160 pounds. There was not much on me. I was iffy about doing it, but my dad convinced me. He said he saw how it helped a bunch of other kids and if I don’t do it I might regret it. That’s when I started to put time in the gym to be the best I can be.”

Admittedly “skinny and a late bloomer”, Dowling worked hard during quarantine after velo at a prospect camp was “not where it needed to be” prior to covid.

“I put on 15 pounds and got my velo up to 84,” Dowling said about putting in work when the pandemic hit. “After that I went to a PBR scout event at Dunkin’ Donuts Park that was live streamed and that’s where I was at when they saw me. On Sept. 1, I emailed a bunch of schools and kept sending video. I heard from Harvard a lot toward the end of September. We had phone calls every week or every two weeks. I got another offer and then from Harvard. I feel very lucky.”

But Dowling understands improvement is necessary  in order to make an impact at the Division I program located an hour and 50 minutes from his Connecticut home.

“They like how I throw strikes, but I still need to get more velocity,” the 6-5 197-pound southpaw noted. “I want to put on another 15 pounds and become more flexible and I’m definitely working hard to do that. Mechanics will help with velo, so I’m trying to focus on my hips and getting open as much as possible.”

The idea of playing baseball at the next level started prior to his reclassification.

“It really got in my mind before I repeated,” Dowling pointed out. “I wasn’t talking to anyone my first sophomore year so I sat down and got serious about this. I definitely recommend repeating to some of those that are not there yet.”

A strong work ethic is an attribute that Dowling believes he can provide the Ivy League program.

“I have a very competitive mentality,” Dowling related. “I don’t try to do too much, but at the end of the day when I’m pitching I do whatever I can to put my team in position to win. I feel that’s what I do the best.”

Strides have been made in getting to that point on the diamond.

“I’m better at controlling the game more now,” Dowling explained. “In the past I’d give up a hit and focus on that and the runner too much. Now I’m able to put things in the past.”

Dowling credits Baseball U CT travel coach Patrick Vigilio as well as his father, Robert, with being the biggest influences in helping get his game to Harvard.

“Coach Vigilio reached out to schools to help me every step of the way,” Dowling said. “My dad helped with all his experience. I’m very lucky to have help from people who know how to handle things.

“I tried to get as much video as possible during games. My dad did everyone for me. Emailing was crucial as well. For me it was all about video and electronic communication when it came to my recruitment.”

With high academic schools his focus, Dowling was thrilled to have Harvard come into the picture and now realizes that patience really did help the cause.

“To anyone going through this, my advice is to be patient and focus on grades,” noted Dowling, who carries a 4.1 GPA at Avon Old Farms and is considering a major in economics. “I found out the SAT score I needed and it was a relief when I got it. But after a few days I realized there is a lot of work ahead and time to get back at it.”