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Greene County’s Kadarius Andrews (8) attempts to hit a fastball high in the zone during an at-bat against Lake Oconee Academy on Feb. 26. LANCE McCURLEY/Staff -
Greene County’s Amari Durham (5) fires a ball from third base to first base in an attempt for an out against LOA on Feb. 26. LANCE McCURLEY/Staff
Greene County baseball head coach Brad Evans has seen his team take great strides in his first year.
The Tigers are having one of their best seasons in recent memory and have vastly improved since Evans took over. Evans has seen his players become more committed to the sport this spring.
“We’ve got so much better as a team,” Evans told the Lake Oconee News. “The guys have worked hard to make improvements. At first, we were teaching the basics, but they’ve picked up quickly.”
Despite having a 4-8 overall record, Greene County has been competitive, which has been a positive sign for the first-year coach. There’s been a few blowout losses, but there have also been a few wins. They started with a 1-5 overall record, but they’re 3-3 since March 13 entering this weekend.
According to Evans, the team’s pitching has improved throughout the season. Evans has seen senior Quan Benford upgrade his arsenal of pitches on the mound since the beginning of the year.
“(Quan) comes in and throws strikes,” Evans said. “He was in a situation against Laney and faired well. I can put him in those types of situations and he doesn’t break a sweat. He gets it done.”
Evans wants consistency out of his pitchers and wants to see them in certain roles. He pointed out that the team also relies on Lucas Edwards, Tyquan Lindsay, Vincent Mitchell, and Jamarion Hill.
“We have some consistent pitchers and those guys are going to give us strikes,” Evans said. “They may not have the arsenal of pitches some other guys have, but we can count on them to throw strikes, hold runners on, and that gives us a chance to win. We just need to keep working hard.”
While Greene County has been shut out a few times this season, there have also been a few games the offense has shined. Like on the mound, the Tigers are also looking for consistency at the plate.
Evans acknowledged players such as Hill, Walker Salemi, Kadarius Andrews, and Amari Durham are dependable when they step into the batter’s box. Each has pulled their weight on offense this year.
“We’ve got some guys that can hit. Our nine-hole hitter, Amari Durham, is dangerous,” Evans said. “Most teams take him easily and he’s taken advantage of them. I think we’ve got a solid lineup. Again, it’s all about consistency, though. We just need good at-bats at every spot in our lineup.”
Greene County has six more games on its 2024 schedule. Next up, the Tigers will play a doubleheader at Cedar Shoals in Athens this Thursday, followed by another doubleheader at Augusta Prep Day on April 15. They’ll close out the year with a doubleheader at Elbert County on April 16.
Evans wants his team to stay focused and finish strong, hoping to end the season with a winning record.
“As the season goes along, we’re playing tougher competition,” Evans said. “We’re learning to hang in there with tougher teams. It’s just a matter of simplifying the game. Catch the ball if it comes to you, throw strikes, and hit the ball. That sounds like a simple thing, but baseball is a difficult game and we’re just trying to simplify it the best we can for our guys. That’s our goal this year.”