‘He’s Our Guy’
Mar 04, 2024 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Litchfield, Minnesota is a community of 6,688 located 60 miles west of the Twin Cities metropolitan area on U.S. Highway 12. It is a country seat and a regional center of 5.45 square miles known for strong schools, excellent healthcare and economic opportunity.
One day, and perhaps one day soon, the city of Litchfield might be known for being the hometown of Owen Boerema.
For now, the 23-year-old Boerema is seated at Tointon Family Stadium, swiveling slightly in a black leather chair, wearing a purple-and-white Kansas State baseball uniform, talking about how he's reading James Patterson, how he just downloaded Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and how he married his high school sweetheart, Taylar, in a church in Litchfield on July 1 — 35 days after he pitched the final game of his senior season in a 6-3 loss to TCU in the Big 12 Championships semifinal round at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
"Best decision I ever made," he says of marriage. "We started dating our senior year of high school and went to the same college."
That college was Northwestern (Minn.), a very nice Christian Division III school in St. Paul and 75 miles east of Litchfield. Northwestern applicants' GPAs should ideally be between 3.9 and 4.0 to be strong candidates with a yearly tuition of about $65,000. That's before fees, books and room and board.
Boerema spent three seasons at Northwestern, appeared in 28 games with 26 starts, and went 16-4 with a 1.88 ERA and 240 strikeouts against 51 walks. He was named UMAC Pitcher of the Year in 2021 and 2022 and earned First Team All-America honors by NCCAA in 2022 after he set the Northwestern single-season record with 139 strikeouts. He once totaled 21 punchouts in a single game.
Now the fifth-year senior just finished off his fourth start of the season at K-State — a 10-1 victory over UMass Lowell at Tointon Family Stadium. He threw a total of 19 pitches and 14 of them were strikes, and he struck out four of the six batters that he faced in two innings pitched. That's all that K-State head coach Pete Hughes needed from Boerema, who will rest his left arm before they travel on Tuesday to face No. 8 Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
"It's a huge opportunity not only for our team but for me to prove myself," Boerema says. "At the end of the day, no matter how it goes, there's nothing like that feeling of you putting yourself up against the best. That's just something you can only really find in sports."
Sports began at an early age, as his grandfather was a high school basketball coach for more than 30 years. Boerema grew up in AAU basketball. Eventually, he could dunk a basketball. He was a four-year letterwinner, an all-state pick, and finished third place in school history in points, and top-10 in rebounds and assists. He also ran cross country to condition his body for football. On the mound, he had a 1.11 ERA with 82 strikeouts and set the Minnesota state record with a 34-game hitting streak. He was also Valedictorian of his high school.
When Boerema wasn't fanning batters at Northwestern, he was playing summer-league baseball in the Northwoods League for the Mankato MoonDogs alongside current K-State teammates Tyson Neighbors and Orlando Salinas, Jr. K-State associate head coach Austin Wates spotted Boerema at one of their games, and he became one of those hidden gems, a guy eager for high-level direction and a high-level chance at a high-level baseball program. When Boerema entered the transfer portal, K-State came calling. The Boerema family set up a visit. He fell in love with the facilities and the coaching staff. He wanted to be a Wildcat.
Last season, he earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors after putting together a 7-2 record and a 5.06 ERA while striking out 95 and walking 34 in 15 weekend starts. He struck out 12 batters against Texas. Seven times he struck out at least seven batters, and he went at least five innings in 12 of his 15 starts. He finished second in the Big 12 in strikeouts.
He has added 25 pounds since arriving at K-State — his 6-foot-5 frame supports 225-230 pounds today — and he has a fastball between 88 and 92 miles-per-hour to go along with a nasty slider and change-up.
What we witness today is Boerema unleashed. And as evidenced by the cheers, the ewwwww! and ahhhhh! of fans at Tointon Family Stadium, it's truly a sight to behold, the strikeouts, the art of the strikeout, the young man busting with potential, the young man discovering a new gear, that coal cart struggling to keep pace with the engine as he and his devilish slider scream down the tracks and into the awaiting glove of catcher Raphael Pelletier.
"He had a knee problem that he was throwing through last year that nobody really knew anything about," K-State pitching coach Rudy Darrow says. "That kind of stemmed from when he was playing basketball. So that kind of struggled a little bit with him as far as just not being in tip-top form. So, he got that fixed in the fall. Really once we got that fixed, he was able to start doing more stuff in the weight room and he could put his body into a lot better positions to throw the baseball."
And what does that mean?
"As a result, he's gained almost three-quarters of a foot in extension and that means he's closer to home plate, so naturally his stuff plays really well because he's deceptive in how he hides the baseball and how he throws it," Darrow continues. "Now he's almost a foot closer so now it's even more deceptive. As a result of being a foot closer, too, all his spin rates have gone through the roof. He's doubled his horizontal break on his slider. His slider spin rate has been up to 200-300 more on average than what it was. As for his velocity, he's about a mile-an-hour faster. It didn't take the jump that we thought it would, but as far as his stuff coming out of his hand, it's significantly better because he's able to get closer to the plate."
Currently, Boerema is 1-0 with 28 strikeouts, 11 hits and eight walks in 15.1 innings pitched with four starts, including 11 strikeouts against Holy Cross and his four-strikeout effort in two innings against UMass Lowell.
"He's our guy," Hughes says. "If you want to be the guy you have to breathe life into your dugout and give your team a chance to win a series. That's what Owen brings to the table. He was awesome today. Nineteen pitches and 14 strikes? That's high-end Owen. He gets a ton of strikeouts because his stuff is really good. He just gets better every time he's out there."
Entering this past weekend, and prior to his performance against UMass Lowell, Boerema led the nation with 24 strikeouts — a fact that wasn't lost because this day in age it was plastered across social media.
"I feel really good," he says. "My individual pitches, this year compared to last year, they're better, they move more, they're sharper, and there's no feeling like being out on the mound and having that confidence in yourself because of all the work you've put in."
There's a certain satisfaction in being on the mound again at K-State. Boerema, who originally dreamed of being a chiropractor, is getting his master's degree in academic advising and now dreams of someday remaining in the world of athletics, perhaps working in an athletic department, perhaps being a coach or a teacher, or both.
"I really like working with kids and guys my age," he says. "I feel like I can be a good influence on them. Honestly, at this point, I'm just playing baseball and we'll see how everything else turns out."
He's a fifth-year senior who was voted a team captain prior to the season. Hughes grins while talking about him.
"Owen is his own man," Hughes says. "He's very cerebral. He's consumed with being great at baseball, but it's not the end-all of his life. He's a great role model. He's super mature for his age, but he's awesome for other guys who are trying to mature, and that's what going to college is all about. Having him be your role model in the clubhouse, you can't draw it up any better."
He's a young man with big immediate dreams.
"I want to keep improving, whether it's my velocity or command, so I can hopefully get drafted," he says. "Last year, there were kind of opportunities, but I didn't feel like I'd shown enough to live up to my potential or the standard that I set for myself. An extra year, it can only benefit me as far as baseball goes."
Exactly what would Boerema like Major League Baseball teams to know about him?
"That's a tough question," he says. "I'd want them to know about my work ethic. With me, you're getting a lot more than just a baseball player. I feel like I build good relationships with my teammates and coaches, and I'm good in the community and I'm a good person. At the end of the day, those things are going to serve me well whether it's in baseball or somewhere else.
"I have a pretty good perspective on my identity and how to balance baseball and the rest of my life."
At the moment, baseball — and No. 8 Tennessee — is at the forefront. Darrow is ecstatic for K-State and Boerema's opportunity against the Volunteers.
"Owen flies under the radar for some reason," Darrow says. "I don't know why. He's one of the best pitchers in the country, and he's showing that this year in leading the nation in strikeouts heading into this weekend. I know what we have, and he's our best pitcher. He's a winner and winners are going to win."
For now, Boerema is in the meeting room on the second level of Tointon Family Stadium wearing his purple-and-white K-State uniform about two hours after striking out four of six batters faced against UMass Lowell on a beautiful evening on the first day of March.
Boerema reads one, two or three books a week. He's pondering one question: What would be the name of his book?
"My mom asked me this question in 10th grade," he says. "I didn't know then. I don't have a good answer for you on that one."
In time, the title will come.
For now, the story of Owen Boerema, the native of Litchfield, Minnesota and the college baseball strikeout king, might best be summarized in one word.
Winner.
Litchfield, Minnesota is a community of 6,688 located 60 miles west of the Twin Cities metropolitan area on U.S. Highway 12. It is a country seat and a regional center of 5.45 square miles known for strong schools, excellent healthcare and economic opportunity.
One day, and perhaps one day soon, the city of Litchfield might be known for being the hometown of Owen Boerema.
For now, the 23-year-old Boerema is seated at Tointon Family Stadium, swiveling slightly in a black leather chair, wearing a purple-and-white Kansas State baseball uniform, talking about how he's reading James Patterson, how he just downloaded Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and how he married his high school sweetheart, Taylar, in a church in Litchfield on July 1 — 35 days after he pitched the final game of his senior season in a 6-3 loss to TCU in the Big 12 Championships semifinal round at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
"Best decision I ever made," he says of marriage. "We started dating our senior year of high school and went to the same college."
That college was Northwestern (Minn.), a very nice Christian Division III school in St. Paul and 75 miles east of Litchfield. Northwestern applicants' GPAs should ideally be between 3.9 and 4.0 to be strong candidates with a yearly tuition of about $65,000. That's before fees, books and room and board.
Boerema spent three seasons at Northwestern, appeared in 28 games with 26 starts, and went 16-4 with a 1.88 ERA and 240 strikeouts against 51 walks. He was named UMAC Pitcher of the Year in 2021 and 2022 and earned First Team All-America honors by NCCAA in 2022 after he set the Northwestern single-season record with 139 strikeouts. He once totaled 21 punchouts in a single game.
Now the fifth-year senior just finished off his fourth start of the season at K-State — a 10-1 victory over UMass Lowell at Tointon Family Stadium. He threw a total of 19 pitches and 14 of them were strikes, and he struck out four of the six batters that he faced in two innings pitched. That's all that K-State head coach Pete Hughes needed from Boerema, who will rest his left arm before they travel on Tuesday to face No. 8 Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
"It's a huge opportunity not only for our team but for me to prove myself," Boerema says. "At the end of the day, no matter how it goes, there's nothing like that feeling of you putting yourself up against the best. That's just something you can only really find in sports."
Sports began at an early age, as his grandfather was a high school basketball coach for more than 30 years. Boerema grew up in AAU basketball. Eventually, he could dunk a basketball. He was a four-year letterwinner, an all-state pick, and finished third place in school history in points, and top-10 in rebounds and assists. He also ran cross country to condition his body for football. On the mound, he had a 1.11 ERA with 82 strikeouts and set the Minnesota state record with a 34-game hitting streak. He was also Valedictorian of his high school.
When Boerema wasn't fanning batters at Northwestern, he was playing summer-league baseball in the Northwoods League for the Mankato MoonDogs alongside current K-State teammates Tyson Neighbors and Orlando Salinas, Jr. K-State associate head coach Austin Wates spotted Boerema at one of their games, and he became one of those hidden gems, a guy eager for high-level direction and a high-level chance at a high-level baseball program. When Boerema entered the transfer portal, K-State came calling. The Boerema family set up a visit. He fell in love with the facilities and the coaching staff. He wanted to be a Wildcat.
Last season, he earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors after putting together a 7-2 record and a 5.06 ERA while striking out 95 and walking 34 in 15 weekend starts. He struck out 12 batters against Texas. Seven times he struck out at least seven batters, and he went at least five innings in 12 of his 15 starts. He finished second in the Big 12 in strikeouts.
He has added 25 pounds since arriving at K-State — his 6-foot-5 frame supports 225-230 pounds today — and he has a fastball between 88 and 92 miles-per-hour to go along with a nasty slider and change-up.
What we witness today is Boerema unleashed. And as evidenced by the cheers, the ewwwww! and ahhhhh! of fans at Tointon Family Stadium, it's truly a sight to behold, the strikeouts, the art of the strikeout, the young man busting with potential, the young man discovering a new gear, that coal cart struggling to keep pace with the engine as he and his devilish slider scream down the tracks and into the awaiting glove of catcher Raphael Pelletier.
"He had a knee problem that he was throwing through last year that nobody really knew anything about," K-State pitching coach Rudy Darrow says. "That kind of stemmed from when he was playing basketball. So that kind of struggled a little bit with him as far as just not being in tip-top form. So, he got that fixed in the fall. Really once we got that fixed, he was able to start doing more stuff in the weight room and he could put his body into a lot better positions to throw the baseball."
And what does that mean?
"As a result, he's gained almost three-quarters of a foot in extension and that means he's closer to home plate, so naturally his stuff plays really well because he's deceptive in how he hides the baseball and how he throws it," Darrow continues. "Now he's almost a foot closer so now it's even more deceptive. As a result of being a foot closer, too, all his spin rates have gone through the roof. He's doubled his horizontal break on his slider. His slider spin rate has been up to 200-300 more on average than what it was. As for his velocity, he's about a mile-an-hour faster. It didn't take the jump that we thought it would, but as far as his stuff coming out of his hand, it's significantly better because he's able to get closer to the plate."
Currently, Boerema is 1-0 with 28 strikeouts, 11 hits and eight walks in 15.1 innings pitched with four starts, including 11 strikeouts against Holy Cross and his four-strikeout effort in two innings against UMass Lowell.
"He's our guy," Hughes says. "If you want to be the guy you have to breathe life into your dugout and give your team a chance to win a series. That's what Owen brings to the table. He was awesome today. Nineteen pitches and 14 strikes? That's high-end Owen. He gets a ton of strikeouts because his stuff is really good. He just gets better every time he's out there."
Entering this past weekend, and prior to his performance against UMass Lowell, Boerema led the nation with 24 strikeouts — a fact that wasn't lost because this day in age it was plastered across social media.
"I feel really good," he says. "My individual pitches, this year compared to last year, they're better, they move more, they're sharper, and there's no feeling like being out on the mound and having that confidence in yourself because of all the work you've put in."
There's a certain satisfaction in being on the mound again at K-State. Boerema, who originally dreamed of being a chiropractor, is getting his master's degree in academic advising and now dreams of someday remaining in the world of athletics, perhaps working in an athletic department, perhaps being a coach or a teacher, or both.
"I really like working with kids and guys my age," he says. "I feel like I can be a good influence on them. Honestly, at this point, I'm just playing baseball and we'll see how everything else turns out."
He's a fifth-year senior who was voted a team captain prior to the season. Hughes grins while talking about him.
"Owen is his own man," Hughes says. "He's very cerebral. He's consumed with being great at baseball, but it's not the end-all of his life. He's a great role model. He's super mature for his age, but he's awesome for other guys who are trying to mature, and that's what going to college is all about. Having him be your role model in the clubhouse, you can't draw it up any better."
He's a young man with big immediate dreams.
"I want to keep improving, whether it's my velocity or command, so I can hopefully get drafted," he says. "Last year, there were kind of opportunities, but I didn't feel like I'd shown enough to live up to my potential or the standard that I set for myself. An extra year, it can only benefit me as far as baseball goes."
Exactly what would Boerema like Major League Baseball teams to know about him?
"That's a tough question," he says. "I'd want them to know about my work ethic. With me, you're getting a lot more than just a baseball player. I feel like I build good relationships with my teammates and coaches, and I'm good in the community and I'm a good person. At the end of the day, those things are going to serve me well whether it's in baseball or somewhere else.
"I have a pretty good perspective on my identity and how to balance baseball and the rest of my life."
At the moment, baseball — and No. 8 Tennessee — is at the forefront. Darrow is ecstatic for K-State and Boerema's opportunity against the Volunteers.
"Owen flies under the radar for some reason," Darrow says. "I don't know why. He's one of the best pitchers in the country, and he's showing that this year in leading the nation in strikeouts heading into this weekend. I know what we have, and he's our best pitcher. He's a winner and winners are going to win."
For now, Boerema is in the meeting room on the second level of Tointon Family Stadium wearing his purple-and-white K-State uniform about two hours after striking out four of six batters faced against UMass Lowell on a beautiful evening on the first day of March.
Boerema reads one, two or three books a week. He's pondering one question: What would be the name of his book?
"My mom asked me this question in 10th grade," he says. "I didn't know then. I don't have a good answer for you on that one."
In time, the title will come.
For now, the story of Owen Boerema, the native of Litchfield, Minnesota and the college baseball strikeout king, might best be summarized in one word.
Winner.
Players Mentioned
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