Wakefield, R.I. — TT Bowens tried to dodge the multitude of mud puddles on his way out of the Mystic Schooners dugout on Thursday at Old Mountain Field.

It was a losing battle to keep his white cleats clean.

Dirty cleats aside, the soggy weather didn't bother Bowens. He's happy to be playing baseball, no matter the conditions.

After taking a week off following Central Connecticut State University's return from the NCAA Regionals in Arkansas, Bowens recently joined the Schooners for the New England Collegiate Baseball League season.

"I didn't like the week off," said Bowens before Mystic's road game at Ocean State. "I'd rather just play. It's just what I love to do. Just play."

A former Montville High School all-stater, Bowens went 2-for-5 in his 2019 Schooner debut on Wednesday in an 8-7 win in 11 innings over the Valley Blue Sox at Fitch High School. The victory kept Mystic undefeated through six games.

"He's a presence," said Mystic coach Phil Orbe, who also coached Bowens at Montville. "He's been that way for a long time since I've known him. You talk about perseverance, he's a kid that really has taken his darkest days and turned them around into some pretty bright ones."

Bowens has overcome his share of adversity in recent years.

He fought back from Tommy John surgery in 2017 and also had two ACL surgeries — one on each knee, first in March and then November — last season.

The time on the sidelines strengthened his love for the game.

"I realized how quick it could be taken away," Bowens said. "Just like in a blink of an eye, I missed a year and a half. I never missed any time before. Me sitting out and not playing really made me honestly love it more and really cherish the moments that I get and can play.

"Even in summer ball, just being out on the field is a blessing."

His comeback started sooner than expected, as he returned to the CCSU lineup on April 10. He became a powerful presence, batting a career-best .376 in 32 games and finishing witth 12 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 26 RBI.

During CCSU's Northeast Conference tournament championship run at Dodd Stadium, the powerfully built, 6-foot-4, 235-pound Bowens remained productive and belted a long home run that carried about 425 feet.

Bowens' fondest memory involved CCSU's trip to the NCAA Regionals in Fayetteville, Ark. The Blue Devils won the program's first NCAA game, beating California.

"That's something we'll remember forever and we'll be able to talk about it forever, being the first Central team to win an NCAA game," Bowens said.

Bowens also had some personal highlights, including slugging a home run and driving in five runs in a loss to host Arkansas in the tournament opener.

The next two games, Arkansas fans adopted the Blue Devils and cheered them on against TCU.

"That was a good experience," Bowens said. "You couldn't put into words how it felt to be out there. They really liked us. I honestly don't know why they liked us so much. I think it was because we were a smaller school that no one really heard of. 

"When we beat Cal, they were all there cheering for us. Maybe we just have that affect on some people."

Now Bowens is onto the next phase of his baseball career.

Playing in the NECBL, a wooden-bat league, will be a challenge for Bowens. He'll face hard-throwing pitchers, some from major college programs, and experience the daily grind similar to minor league baseball. He'll play first base and also serve as a designated hitter for the Schooners.

If Bowens remains healthy and continues to improve, he'll likely be drafted next year. He heard from a few teams prior to this year's major league draft but, as he expected, went undrafted because of past health issues.

"I know a lot of teams wanted to see a full year out of me, which I'm completely fine with coming back next year and having a full healthy year," Bowens said. "I want to prove to myself that I can have a full healthy year and succeed at the level that I just played at. It's something that I don't even want to prove to them, I want to prove to myself more than anything."

Orbe is certainly rooting for Bowens.

"He's a very likable guy," Orbe said. "And all the teams that he's been on that I've been associated with, he's the type of kid that deserves to have a career moving on."

g.keefe@theday.com