Opportunities At Naval Academy The Difference For Bowers

Keaton Bowers C / SS / Hilliard Bradley, OH / 2026

HILLIARD - As Keaton Bowers put it, “I never thought about going to a military academy.”

But that changed in early October when Navy began showing an interest.

“When they reached out and started texting me, the opportunities opened my eyes,” the Hilliard Bradley junior related. “In talking to kids there, it was the same feeling.”

Those conversations came on a visit to the academy located in Annapolis, Md.

“When they called they wanted to get me on a visit,” Bowers reflected. “It went well. Two weeks after I committed.”

It is a chance not everyone gets and the top-rated 2026 catcher in Ohio jumped at the offer.

“It’s free to go there and after college there’s a five-year commitment in service,” Bowers explained. “After that, there are the opportunities and connections that come with it.”

Navy sees the 5-11 182-pound left-handed hitter as a good fit in the Patriot League program.

“They said they saw me at the Future Games,” Bowers noted. “They said I swung it well and like my catching and throwing down to second. They see me at a corner spot along with catching.”

There were numerous other options out there for the 17-year-old, who had a busy Aug. 1 when college coaches could make contact with players in the 2026 class for the initial time.

“It was exciting, a lot of big schools reached out,” Bowers said.

A visit was taken to Ohio University and trips were also set up with Bowling Green and Dayton, while Georgetown, Jacksonville State, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Kent State, Bucknell and Miami of Ohio were among the others enamoured by Bowers.

“It was an action-packed day, a lot of fun,” the 21st-ranked junior in Ohio said.

But it was Navy that made the biggest impression on Bowers. 

“I feel they will shape me as a man and as a person,” Bowers explained. “They will make me the person I want to become overall in life. It’s not just four years of college, it’s a lifetime with all that comes with it.”

There is an understanding it will not be easy as a student-athlete at a military academy.

“There will be big challenges,” Bowers noted. “Social life is not like normal and school will be harder. Then there’s the big challenge of the five years after. I just think it’s best for my future with what comes after it.”

The belief that playing baseball at the next level would materialize began about four years ago.

“I thought college baseball was a real possibility in seventh or eighth grade,” Bowers said. “(Prep Baseball) Rankings came out and I was number one in the state as a catcher. By freshman year I was talking with schools like Tulane, Missouri and Ohio State. Then the rule change came into effect. I knew sophomore summer would be important.”

Getting better was vital in showing college coaches what he could do.

“I’ve improved a lot,” Bowers noted. “My exit velo is up a lot, more knowledge came with my improvement, I’ve gotten a lot bigger and my receiving has gotten a lot better.”

Along with other assistance, it made recruitment easier.

“Prep Baseball helped a lot, getting invited to the Procase and the Future Games was a big one,” explained Bowers, who also gave credit to Bo Jackson head coach Brandon Szinc, Bradley mentor Dave Starling and his parents for playing important roles in his process. “I had offers from Ohio State and West Virginia and was thinking of committing and then the rule changed. I knew we wouldn’t talk in a year-and-a-half so that helped me back away from doing that.

“But my recruitment wasn’t as stressful as you’d think,” Bowers added. “It’s just a process and I enjoyed it. It was fun, but I’m glad it’s over. It’s a big relief to be done with all the talking to coaches.”

A major in quantitative economics is the plan for the 3.6 student at Hilliard Bradley, who is excited about what lies ahead at the university located seven hours from home.

“I believe I can make an impact, be the guy they rely on,” Bowers said. “I want to be the commander of their field.”

That is just part of what has Bowers ready for the Naval Academy.

“I heard college is the best time of most people’s lives,” Bowers concluded. “Being a student-athlete is going to be different.”