Coach Sam Degelia has been coaching the Bulldogs for 25 years, and this season marks his 11th year as head coach. On February 23rd, 2024, Coach Degelia received his 200th win against Lake Belton High School.
The game ended with a Bowie run, ruling the Lake Belton Broncos 11-1 in the 4th inning. Senior pitcher Ryder Melsa finished the game with seven strikeouts and allowed just one hit.
“I was excited to be the starting pitcher for Coach D’s 200th win,” Melsa said. “Coach D has a lot of wisdom on the game of baseball because he has been around the game his entire life.”
Through his tenure as head coach of the Dawgs, Degelia’s coaching legacy shines, going to 11 straight playoffs as head coach and capping off 23 years straight of making the playoffs.
“We’re positive with the kids,” Degelia said. “You also have to have a track record. We’ve been in this thing for 23 years, and nobody wants to be that 24th team that doesn’t make it.”
Degelia’s unwavering commitment to excellence has also translated into a culture of resilience and winning.
“Players have got to understand the culture and what it takes to win at a successful program.” Degelia said. “There’s a big tradition with baseball at Bowie, and players need to buy in and learn to play hard for each other.”
In the past couple years, Degelia has helped his players achieve their dreams of playing at the next level. For the past three years, Degelia has sent a player to the Division 1 level, this year being senior pitcher Cole Miller.
“Coach D was a big part of my recruiting process,” Miller said. “Even though most of the recruiting is done during the summer league, it was nice to have a coach in my corner and be able to ask questions when needed.”
Miller has been a part of varsity since he was a sophomore, closing games his first two years, and has picked up a bigger role with being named leader pitcher.
“The first year was hard because I was the youngest guy in the lockerroom,” Miller said. “Coach D made the transition easy for me; he has us represent a family and is making sure we are connected together as a team.”
This year, the Dawgs come into the postseason as the fourth seed, facing Vista Ridge in the first round.
“We’re excited for this challenge,” Melsa said. “It should be a fun series and one of our last as a team. The goal is to push far through the playoffs and play as one.”
