The Worcester Bravehearts have signed College of the Holy Cross first-year students Daniel Barlok and Patrick McGowan for the 2016 baseball season. The Bravehearts, dedicated to supporting the Worcester community from concessions to players, signed the Holy Cross students as two of seven new local players.
In September 2013, Holy Cross joined in partnership with the City, Bravehearts owner John W.S. Creedon Jr., and the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) to bring summer baseball back to Fitton Field. The partnership is now in its third year.
Barlok, a right-handed pitcher for the Holy Cross Crusaders, hails from Shrewsbury, Mass. and attended St. John’s High School in Worcester. While attending St. John’s, Barlok played two season of varsity baseball under head coach Charlie Eppinger and was team captain his senior year. He played in the MBCA Junior Select All-Star game and won the Most Valuable Pitcher award. In addition to baseball, Barlok played three seasons of varsity hockey at St. John’s and was named captain of the hockey team his senior year as well. A prolific athlete, he is also a member of the National Honor Society for academics.
“To me, being signed by the Bravehearts is a great honor,” Barlok, who hopes to pursue a degree in economics, says. “I'm excited to play close to home in our college stadium. Playing for the Bravehearts is a great way to form friendships with other collegiate baseball players who play across the country. ”
McGowan, also a right-handed pitcher for the Crusaders, is from Wellesley, Mass., and attended St. Sebastian’s High School in Needham. During high school, he played three seasons of varsity baseball under head coach Michael Schell and served as team captain his senior year. McGowan was named All-League in 2014 and again in 2015 and received the Paul Lepley Award for Team Commitment as a senior. As a junior he had a career-high 75 strikeouts and went 4-2 with a 2.81 earned run average as a senior. Playing for the North East Baseball club team, which won the 2014 Northeast Baseball Tournament and Diamond Nation Championship, McGowan was named to the 2014 WWBA 17U All-Tournament team. In addition to his impressive athletics record, he was named to St. Sebastian’s honor roll all four years of his attendance.
“I am looking forward to playing with some of the best college baseball players in the area,” McGowan says, “and improving my own abilities through good competition and expanding my knowledge of baseball.” He hopes to pursue a career in sports management, perhaps someday becoming a general manager of a sports team or a sports agent. “It’s a lot of work to manage a heavy course-load and play Division 1 baseball,” McGowan says about his time at the College, “but I have enjoyed every moment being a part of the Holy Cross Baseball team.”
The Worcester Bravehearts baseball team, a franchise in the FCBL, is owned and operated by the Creedon family, who also own and operate Creedon and Co., Inc. The FCBL franchises feature high-caliber baseball with rosters comprised of both New England star players and top prospects from across the U.S. Major League Baseball scouts regularly attend league games. The Worcester Bravehearts won the FCBL championship in 2014 and 2015. They were also voted FCBL Organization of the Year and their General Manager Dave Peterson, was voted Executive of the Year.
The Braveheart 2016 season will open Thursday night, Jun. 2, in Seacoast, Mass. The home opener will be Friday, Jun. 3 against Wachusett.
Media Coverage
- Telegram & Gazette, Jan. 28: Worcester Bravehearts add more local talent to roster.
More Information
- “New Futures League Baseball Team Named the Worcester Bravehearts”
- “Holy Cross Partners With City of Worcester and Futures League to Bring Baseball Back to Worcester”
- “Bravehearts Return to Fitton Field for Opening Day”
This "Holy Cross in the News" item by Emma Collins '16.
