NEW LONDON, N.C. – 2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team alum and current Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder returned to his hometown in Stanly County, North Carolina, on Saturday, November 16, to co-host a Homegrown Clinic with USA Baseball. Surrounded by the memories he and his friends made on the field of North Stanly High School (New London, N.C.), Lowder welcomed a group of over 100 local kids for a day centered around giving back and teaching kids fundamentals of baseball.
Throughout the clinic, kids traveled in groups from station to station, learning skills like base running and focusing on the fundamentals of throwing, catching, and hitting, all under the watchful gaze of one of their hometown's most celebrated athletes. Once the fundamentals were complete, kids competed in scrimmages where Lowder used his talents to umpire the games. Then, he sat down with the kids for a personal Q&A session – answering questions about his favorite teammates and why he loves playing baseball – before signing autographs for every kid who attended… and some of their parents. All to give back to his community and hopefully leave a lasting impression on the kids.
"It's super exciting – very humbling," Lowder said. "I remember being at a camp here. I was one of these kids at one point, just sitting out here in the outfield... The community is a really big deal around here in a small town, so I'm very excited to be able to share my experiences and pass them down to the kid that I was at one time."
Lowder shared with us his fond memories of growing up in Stanly County, where baseball was a central part of the community, ultimately leading him to want to host this clinic. "My brothers both played baseball here, and a lot of my friends growing up... We were just playing and having fun with our best friends, who we played with forever."
On a journey that has watched him become a consensus All-American pitcher at Wake Forest University, a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, and only the second person to ever earn back-to-back ACC Pitcher of the Year honors, the Collegiate National Team alum, who earned a bronze medal at Honkbalweek Haarlem in the Netherlands in 2022, Lowder really emphasized his love for this community and his staying connected to this small town.
"Those small-town roots that I just love and can always fall back on. I grew up in this small town. I just love coming back here and being in a small town. Hopefully, they see someone that came from a similar place they did – a similar situation. I was in the same shoes as they were, sitting out here at a camp when I was a young kid."
The Homegrown Clinic celebrated Lowder's success and fostered a sense of possibility for the young players in attendance, showing them that big dreams can come from small-town beginnings.
"I don't think I'd be where I'm at if I didn't have a great time playing baseball throughout my childhood. Hopefully, they have fun and leave with some hope."
