Tigers begin new era under Evans
Greene County baseball’s team started a new era last week under the direction of first-year coach Brad Evans.
The Tigers opened up the season with a 9-5 loss to Cross Creek, but their first victory came against Laney the following day. They topped the Wildcats 26-15 in a high-scoring affair in Augusta to solidify their first win.
“We’re 1-1 right now, which is definitely a better start than we’re accustomed to,” Evans said. “Playing two games, with a win already and having an opportunity to get another is a huge step in the right direction for us.”
Greene County busted open the game against Laney with an 11-run second inning, taking a 13-5 lead after the frame. The Tigers tacked on nine more runs in the top of the sixth inning to reach their 26-run total in the win.
Greene County sophomore Mason Salemi and junior Amari Durham stepped up on the offensive end that night.
Salemi and Durham were the offensive firepower Greene County needed in its big win over the Wildcats.
The duo combined for seven hits, three RBIs, and seven runs scored in their team’s 11-run victory on Feb. 14.
Senior Quan Benford and freshman Lucas Edwards also played key roles in Greene County’s offense that day.
On the mound, freshman right-hander Lucas Edwards started the game. While he gave up quite a few runs, he also shined from the bump. Mitchell struck out a career-high seven batters while walking six as well.
Evans and his team received a compliment following the win over Laney.
“Someone told me, ‘This is not the same Greene County baseball.’ Our goal in general is to show people it’s not what it was in the past,” Evans said. “We’re putting more into it. Hopefully, we will start reaping some of the benefits. We’ve got a few seniors that have been here and put work in. But a lot of our starters are sophomores and freshmen. We have a solid junior class as well. We’re building toward something positive.”
Evans has invested a lot into the program during the offseason, pushing for new jerseys and equipment. He’s also had a lot of buy-in from the kids who decided to come out for the team and their hard work has paid off.
There are a few kids who haven’t played much baseball, and Evans knows his team needs to take the season one step at a time. In year one, the new coach is just looking for growth and for his guys to have fun.
“We’ve still got some inexperience, but honestly, I feel like that is part of our growth is learning the game,” Evans said. “Baseball isn’t something you can just pick up and be good at. You have to know what is going on in certain situations. That’s part of the process but I’ve seen a few of our guys grow and develop since last year.”
Evans is enjoying watching the program get a fresh start and seeing his players take more interest in the game. The Tigers are playing a non-varsity schedule this year as the team gets adjusted in Evans’ first year.
Evans hopes this will give his guys confidence as they play teams that are on their competition level. He also has seen a lot more commitment from this year’s batch of players compared to when he was an assistant.
“If we want to be like other teams, we need to put in the work,” Evans said. “We had kids show up to a morning practice on Winter Break. That hasn’t happened in the past. They’re now committed to getting better.”