Jake Owen left a professional sports career behind him when a wake boarding accident put him on the bench, but the athlete-turned-musician is back on the field with his upcoming tour of minor league baseball stadiums as a part of his Life's Whatcha Make It Tour.

Owen is currently enjoying the climb of his latest sing "I Was Jack (You Were Diane)," as fans and critics alike compare the up-and-coming hit to his earlier No. 1 hit, "Barefoot Blue Jean Night." Whether the new song turns into Owen's next chart topper or not, the feel-good vibe captures the spirit of his groove right now.

"...at the end of the day, even if you’re not the guy with the No. 1 song, you’re still in the ball game....It’s just a matter of when you step back up to the plate," he tells the Tennessean. "People want you to hit a home run.” Owen is optimistic about the future of his new single and the new album that he's hinted at, saying that the journey is all good for now.

“It feels so good,” Owen says. “There’s been times in my career where I woke up and wondered if anything was going to happen today. It’s great now, we’re waking up every day and wondering, ‘What’s the news today?’ What cool thing are we going to get into today?’”

Owen kicks off his tour at AT&T Field in Chatanooga, Tenn. on May 18. He also recently released a short-film-style music video for "I was Jack (You Were Diane)."

All of Jake Owen's Singles, Ranked

More From KIX 105.7