Sports: Local pitcher could go pro

By Melissa Yerkov

Times Sports Editor

Good things come to those who wait.

Just ask Kevin McGovern.

The Northeast resident's lifelong dream has been to play professional baseball, but he has encountered a number of roadblocks along the way.

Now, it looks like his persistence is going to pay off.

These days, McGovern is a senior hurler at Philadelphia University. He has a 4.06 ERA and has increased his fastball to more than 90 miles per hour; he's also starting to receive attention from some major league scouts.

Yes, things are looking good for Kevin McGovern.

But it didn't come easily.

"It's been a challenge, but it certainly helped me mature as a man," McGovern said of his baseball career to date. "To grow up and be put in different situations and be able to adapt and change my lifestyle, I think it helped make me stronger."

A 2007 graduate of Archbishop Ryan High School, McGovern has been in four schools during his high school and college career. He experienced winning records, endured losing seasons and yet remained focus on the task at hand — pitching.

He started his pitching career at Cardinal Dougherty High School — which was closed last June but at the time of McGovern's attendance had close to 800 students. From there, he transferred to Archbishop Ryan, where he guided the Raiders to the Catholic League championship game during his senior campaign — he went 10-1 with 84 strikeouts — and earned MVP honors.

His collegiate baseball career was a similar story. After receiving an athletic scholarship to La Salle University, he'd opted to transfer to Philadelphia University by his sophomore campaign, and now he's helping the Rams on the diamond.

"I transferred to Philadelphia University, where I got to start and play the field," explained McGovern. "My arm feels stronger. Philadelphia University is a really good fit for me. I ended up throwing harder.

"I feel like after leaving the Division I school at La Salle and entering a D-II school, the atmosphere gave me all the motivation," McGovern continued. "Everything seemed to change. It was a much smaller school and not a lot of opportunities were presented to me.

"Even in high school, when I transferred, I was hoping for more opportunities," he added. "I learned you have to create your own opportunities and work hard in order to succeed."

Standing 6-feet-3 and 210 pounds on the mound, the lefthander has complemented his fastball — clocked at 90 to 92 mph — a slider, circle change and cutter.

"I've been working over the winter. I learned the slider over the break," said McGovern, who trained at the Full Armor Baseball Academy in Upper Holmesburg. "That's one of the pitches I like going to the most. I developed a lot of mechanics over the winter, including my slider. And I finally got my fastball over ninety."

During his first season with the Rams, as a sophomore, McGovern didn't see a lot of time on the hill, but he excelled offensively with 25 hits, including eight doubles and six runs batted in. By his junior campaign, McGovern landed a starring role as a pitcher, putting together a 2.13 ERA.

This season, he has hit his stride.

"I wanted more for myself," he said. "I felt like I wasn't done and I could do better. It influenced me to work harder. Hopefully it'll all pay off this year."

So far, it has.

Now settling into his role at Philadelphia University, McGovern has emerged as the squad's ace on the hill. Despite Philadelphia University's losing record — the Rams are 4-24 — McGovern's speedy improvement this season has caught the eye of several major league scouts.

"Everything has started happening over the last two months," he explained. "People are recognizing that I'm throwing over ninety. My fastball has a lot more life.

"I'm a late bloomer," he added. "The school I play for isn't a well-known school. There are only 2,500 kids in it. It's not a big baseball school. I was under the radar for most of my career, but now I've pushed it over ninety (miles per hour). Now that I'm there, it's all about consistency and staying over ninety for the entirety of the game."

The hurler has fanned 56 batters thus far and walked only 14. His performance on the hill has caught the attention of two pro scouts — one with the Angels, the other with the Pirates.

"I'm not used to scouts coming out. It's only been the second time," said McGovern. "I didn't even know they were there until I saw the (radar) guns go up in the stands. My lifelong dream is playing professional baseball, so I'm trying to make the most of it right now.

"The very first time it happened, I was definitely nervous. I wasn't sure what they were looking for," he continued. "I was mostly focusing on the game and shutting out everything else there. I was just focusing on the next pitch. I'm still on a team and my main focus is the team."

Most recently, the Rams battled Post University, a school in Connecticut, in a doubleheader on Saturday and  lost both games. In the first one, McGovern fanned seven batters, allowing only one hit during a 1-0 loss. Philadelphia University fell 4-2 in the second game.

The Rams were slated to face Washington Adventist in a doubleheader on Tuesday, then University of the Sciences on Wednesday, but those games were played after the Times went to press this week.

"I feel like its a great motivation to play for the guys, play for the team," said McGovern. "It certainly helps me get motivated to win. I have a lot of pride for my school.

"As a team, technically we're still not out of the playoff hunt," he added. "I want us to stay in contention in our division. I want to push forward with everything we can. The number-one goal is winning."

As for McGovern, the student-athlete plans to graduate this spring with a degree in business. He hopes to continue his baseball career as long as possible, perhaps even get drafted this summer.

"Baseball has really has been my first and only love. There's nothing I don't love about the game," he said. "It's a game where you can fail seventy percent of the time and still be considered successful — that's a game with adversity. Baseball has taught me that great athletes make great adjustments. Never make excuses, just make adjustments."

Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at Myerkov@BSMPhilly.com