ATLANTA, Ga. – Lander standout reliever Tyler Bowen became the 12th player in Lander baseball history to be selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, as he was picked in the 12th round by the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday afternoon. Bowen is the first Bearcat drafted since Fraser Ellard was selected in the eighth round by the Chicago White Sox in 2021.

In his final season with the Bearcats, Bowen posted a 3.67 ERA over 34.1 innings, striking out 55 and recording four saves while helping lead Lander to its first Peach Belt Conference Tournament title since 2014. Over his career, the right-hander struck out 90 batters in 67.0 innings—an average of 12.08 strikeouts per nine innings.

"We are super proud of Tyler and everything he accomplished with our program," said head coach Jason Burke. "He put in a ton of hard work over four years and never wavered in his commitment to the program. He is a great player, a great teammate, and a Bearcat for life. He's going to do great things with the Phillies organization."

The MLB Draft concludes later today with rounds 13 through 20, taking place in Atlanta in conjunction with the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.