(The following article was published Tuesday, March 20, 2007, in The Macon Telegraph)
BY Sarah Meinecke
TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER
Jason and Josh Lowey have been asked pretty much everything two twins can be asked.
No, they can’t read each other’s mind, although they have been known to finish each other’s sentences. They don’t know how to describe what it is like to be a twin, mainly because they have been living with it since they were born two minutes apart. And no, they don’t get sick of each other.
In fact, the two brothers, both members of the Mercer baseball team, are each other’s biggest supporters and each other’s best friends. They live together, share the same major at Mercer and have spent their baseball careers looking out for each other.
“We have always played on the same team,” Josh Lowey, the older of the two and a Mercer infielder. “The only difference is that I am typically in the infield and Jason plays in the outfield. But we both pitch.”
The versatility they possess has been a major plus for the Bears, who have started using the twins on the mound, as well as at their respective positions. The two arrived at Mercer prior to last year after transferring from Okaloosa Walton Community College as a package deal.
In fact, the brothers made it known to interested schools at the end of their two junior college years that one wasn’t going to be moving on without the other one. And while other schools stalled, Mercer just so happened to need an infielder and an outfielder. The fact that the pair could pitch just happened to be a bonus.
“They came out of junior college offensively at the top of their league,” Mercer baseball head coach Craig Gibson said. “Jason was at the top of the state in home runs, doubles and triples his sophomore year, and Josh had that kind of season his first year. That is what led us to them initially.”
It appeared that Josh and Jason Lowey’s baseball careers were moving along splendidly, until the end of last year’s fall semester brought an unpleasant surprise for the duo. Josh Lowey had struggled with a class the semester before, and despite efforts to raise the grade with extra credit work, he was unable to play with the 2006 Bears team and had to take a redshirt. That meant for the first time in 15 years, the brothers wouldn’t take the field together.
“He was playing, and I was in the stands, so it was tough,” Josh Lowey said. “I still practiced with the team, but I didn’t dress.”
Added Jason Lowey, “Obviously I would rather have him with us in the dugout. We feed off each other.”
It’s a situation the pair, and the Bears, will have to face next season as Jason Lowey’s eligibility will be up, while Josh still has one more year to play.
“We may still have Jason around as he finishes his degree,” Gibson said. “We’re very fortunate to have Josh back. They’re great guys, and it’s very fun to see them every day.”
Jason Lowey, who has a .241 batting average, has started in 14 of the Bears’ 16 games and has yet to commit an error in the field. Josh Lowey has seven starts to his credit and currently has a .190 batting average.
But their unexpected contributions have come on the mound. Neither had pitched since middle school prior to this season, but Gibson has found room for both in the Bears’ rotation. Josh Lowey has made seven appearances and pitched 13 innings, striking out 11 while walking just one batter for a 0.69 ERA. Jason Lowey, also seeing action in seven games, has struck out 12.
“(Their pitching) has really boosted out staff,” Gibson said. “They give us a weapon we haven’t had. It’s fortunate for us that they can do more than one thing.”
And that doesn’t include secretly switching places. So don’t ask them.
