Father like son: LLCC baseball player carries on his father’s legacy

When redshirt freshman baseball player Todd Fowler transferred back to Lincoln Land, he wanted to make sure he was wearing No. 14 on his jersey.

No. 14 was his father’s number when he played at Lincoln Land more than 20 years ago.

“I was very pleased and proud, a son wearing his dad’s old number over 20 years later in this circumstance is rare,” said Steve Fowler, Todd’s father.

Steve grew up a huge Cincinnati Reds fan and idolized Pete Rose, so much that he wore the same number as him.

Originally from Chatham, Todd transferred to Lincoln Land from Delta State University in Mississippi.

“Lincoln Land was a better fit for me and a lot of my friends are on the team,” Todd said.

The No. 14 and baseball are a shared passion for Steve and Todd, but not a family tradition. Steve and Todd are the only ones who have played baseball in their family.

Steve was only a two-year starter in high school because he got cut from his freshman and sophomore years. After playing his junior and senior years, Steve got a college scholarship.

“I do feel a little bit of pressure to live up to my dad’s accomplishments,” Todd said.

However, his coach, Ron Riggle, doesn’t believe Todd will have to worry about living up to any expectations.

“Todd is a very talented player, and I don’t believe there will be any added pressure”, Riggle said.

While wearing his father’s number, Todd wants to make his coach and teammates proud by helping them get back to the NJCAA World Series while also leading the team in a hitting category as a personal goal.

Todd plans to enjoy the next two years at Lincoln Land, graduate and transfer to a four-year school, where he will continue to play baseball.