Published on: Thursday, February 14, 2013

By Brandy L. Simms

The University of Maryland baseball team is scheduled to open the 2013 season on Friday against Southeastern Conference power LSU in Baton Rouge, La.

However, the Terrapins will be minus former Sherwood pitching ace William Bouey, who has decided to quit the sport and focus on his education.

“I am currently just at school catching up on credits and focusing on where I want to go with my life,” he said.

Bouey, who saw limited action on the mound as a freshman last season, was expected to bolster a Maryland pitching staff that includes Gaithersburg native Jimmy Reed. Maryland head coach John Szefc is in his first season at the helm of the program after former head coach Erik Bakich resigned last summer to become the new head coach at Michigan.

“Will wants to be a law enforcement officer,” said Bernie Walter, the team’s special assistant to the head coach. “Last summer he was enrolled in a police cadet program in Montgomery County. Apparently, his family has many police officers.”

As a high school senior, Bouey guided Sherwood to an unbeaten record during the regular season and was mentioned in a national USA Today ranking.

He finished the season 8-0 with a 0.55 ERA and struck out 81 batters and walked 15 with four one-hitters.

During his junior campaign, Bouey helped lead Sherwood to the 2010 Maryland 4A state championship, marking the Sandy Spring school’s second state title in three years.

The right-handed pitcher combined with Jamie Detjer to register a three-hitter in Sherwood’s 2-1 victory over Chesapeake at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. Bouey struck out four Chesapeake batters in two innings on the mound and registered the save.

In Sherwood’s 5-0 state semifinal victory against Eleanor Roosevelt, Bouey registered a complete-game no-hitter and tossed 13 strikeouts.

By leaving the sport altogether, Bouey abandons a promising future and potential professional career in baseball.

“We were extremely sorry to lose Will,” Walter said. “He left with a good academic record. Personally, I think he could have become an ACC pitching star and a pro with a shot at Major League Baseball.”