[6] After high school, Rowley was offered college baseball scholarships by Mercer University and the United States Military Academy (also called West Point).

[6] Rowley finished the 2012 campaign with an 11–1 record, which included six complete games and five shutouts, and added a 2.40 earned run average and 80 strikeouts in 971⁄3 innings.

[10][11][12] While assigned to Bulgaria for Operation Atlantic Resolve, first lieutenant Rowley pitched to his company's senior medic to keep his arm in shape.

[13][14] After serving 30 months in the military, Rowley's application for an exception to the remainder of his commitment was approved on January 22, 2016, and he was assigned to Individual Ready Reserve.

[11][15] He played the entire year with the Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays, and posted a 10–3 win–loss record, 3.49 ERA, and 86 strikeouts in a career-high 1232⁄3 innings.

[9] He was assigned to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats to begin the 2017 season, and earned a promotion to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on June 19.

He was assigned to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, where he pitched to a 11.02 ERA in 16+1⁄3 innings of work, missing much of the year due to injury.

[2] In May 2024, Rowley published another article, titled "Creative Jurisprudence: The Paradox of Free Speech Absolutism" alongside Indiana University law professor R. George Wright.

[35][36] The article critically examines constitutional paradoxes created by the Supreme Court's "absolutist" stance on the First Amendment's right to free speech in 303 Creative LLC v.