The OKPreps Rundown

Billy Jack Bowen announces retirement

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by

Hunter Sheppard
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Pictured above is Silo HC Billy Jack Bowen talking to his team at the pitcher’s mound

In a report by Silo Rebels play-by play Kevin Farr, Longtime Silo baseball coach Billy Jack Bowen after 37 years and 74 combined seasons fall and spring has announced his retirement. Bowen finishes his career as the all time wins leader with 2252 wins and 427 losses with an .841 winning percentage and 24 state championships, Of those 24 championships he won his first two at Bokchito in 1988 and 1990, Three at Rock Creek in 1998, 1999 and 2000, Six in the fall at Silo in 2006, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2021 and 13 in the spring in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and most recently 2023 to cap off a sixth straight state championship.

Bowen is a 1975 graduate of Silo and played college baseball at Grayson College in Texas before transferring to Southeastern Oklahoma State in 1978-79 At SEOSU he tallied a .375 batting average to go along with 133 hits, 120 runs scored, 135 RBI and 28 home runs. His 1979 season was one of his best seasons on record which earned him three positions on Southeastern’s all time lists which includes the third best single season RBI total at 84; The fourth best single-season home run total at 18 and the fifth best single-season runs total at 79 and he had a .418 batting average with 82 hits in 62 games played, On top of that he earned first team NAIA All-American honors along with first team all-OIC, first team NAIA all-district 9 and first team NAIA all-area 3 along with the Southeastern team MVP award. After he graduated college he signed with the Atlanta Braves organization and played one year at the A-ball level before hanging up his cleats to become a coach. Bowen was inducted into the Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.

Bowen began his coaching career as an assistant at Durant before going to Bokchito which would consolidate into Rock Creek. Bowen had a 170-61 record in girl’s basketball with six trips to the state tournament, while totaling a 381-166 record on the boy’s side while making four state tournament appearances. He was there for 15 years before going to Silo.

Here is some of the reaction from around the OKPreps front.

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