After two fantastic seasons in Baton Rouge, Zac Cowan’s collegiate career came to an end. On Sunday afternoon, he was selected #573 overall in the 19th round by the Cleveland Guardians.
After spending his first two years at Wofford, Cowan transferred to LSU for his junior season in 2025. He became instrumental in the run to Omaha, following up either Kade Anderson
or Anthony Eyanson and picking up where each of those two left off. He was a lethal combination with either of the future big league pitchers.
In a presser following a game this season, I once asked Jay Johnson about Cowan’s importance. Johnson pointed up to the National Championship trophies atop our heads in the team meeting room and said, “Zac Cowan is a top-3 reason that we have one of those trophies up there.”
Although 2026 was a struggle for the team, he remained mostly himself. The senior had a slow start to the season, but locked in for SEC play and returned to his status as one of LSU’s most reliable arms. He had the lowest ERA within league competition of any pitcher in the conference for a few weeks.
In two seasons as a Tiger, Cowan finished with a 6-6 record and 96.0 innings pitched, holding a 4.03 ERA. He struck out 111, walking just 24.
As a very old-school pitcher, he did not light up the radar gun with his fastball. He’d sit at 90-92, but would follow it up with a devastating changeup, the best pitch on the staff.
He’ll look to take the next step, probably having to add an extra pitch if he is to reach the MLB, but the Guardians are getting a competitor with an amazing head on his shoulders.
