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Pitching on the biggest stage in college baseball, former North Stanly standout Rhett Lowder did not disappoint.

As the acknowledged ace of the Wake Forest pitching staff, Lowder did his job on the mound for seven solid innings Thursday night in the College World Series.

Despite the Deacons losing the game in 11 innings to LSU, the former Comet made his parents and Wake fans proud.

Anthony Lowder, Rhett’s father, along with his mother and younger brother, drove the 17 hours from Millingport to Omaha, Nebraska, the annual site of the NCAA College World Series.

“We were super proud of him. I think he did the best he could have done under the circumstances. I don’t think he could have been much better,” Anthony Lowder said. “It’s just amazing how he has grown since being at Wake.”

Rhett Lowder, like many players in the spring 2020 high school spring seasons, did not get the chance to play for a state title when COVID-19 shut down high school sports nationwide. He finished 21-3 in his high school career with a 0.68 ERA.

His father said he believed not getting to pitch his senior year at North played a little into his drive to improve his game in college.

“He was always able to pitch, as you can tell by his record at North … the biggest transformation had to be physical. They really transformed him, especially his freshman year. He put a lot of muscle on and that played a tremendous part, especially in his velocities,” Anthony Lowder said.

Watching him pitch at the College World Series was nerve-wracking, his father added.

“(It was) exciting. You just live and die on every pitch, it seems like. It’s like being on the edge of a cliff the whole time. I’m terrible with nerves and I know I’m always more nervous about games than he is, for sure.

“It was a great experience, don’t get me wrong, but it is nerve-wracking, especially as a pitcher’s parent because he is handling the ball on every play.”