Growing up in Milledgeville, Andrew Evans displayed indicators of a successful baseball career. A standout at Baldwin County High School, he also achieved great success for Georgia College and State University. There, Evans helped lead the Bobcats to three conference titles, a southeast regional title, and a berth in the Division II College World Series. These days, Evans is earning acclaim as the head baseball coach at Pierce County High School. His Bears ranked second in the state heading into spring break in what has been a successful passing of the torch from longtime PCHS skipper Greg Gay.
“For the most part, I’d say we’ve been a case of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’” Evans said. “There are a few things here and there that are different now. For example, some practices have been formatted a little differently, and we might play a little more competitive games at practice. We also brought back the JV this year; that’s a positive step. But what Greg did worked well for him, and what I tried to do was take everything he taught me, tweak it, and make it my own.”
Under Gay’s direction, PCHS won 250 games in 10 seasons while winning several region titles and setting numerous records. Evans served as an assistant during the last four seasons and helped PCHS win three region titles and two Elite Eight berths. The Bears also finished in the top 10 three times, earning state playoff berths each year. For his efforts, Evans was a three-time recipient of the Region 1-AAA Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Gay retired from the dugout following last season to pursue an administrative career, and PCHS quickly tapped Evans to carry on the winning ways.
“Personally, I feel very fortunate to have a mentor like Greg and to have worked under him,” Evans said. “Not only was he extremely good at what he did, he also was a very good teacher and took time and was patient to work with me. He taught me more than just x’s and o’s. No doubt he’s one of the best to learn from, and I feel blessed to have worked for him for so long.”
Evans cultivated his own formula for success that saw the Bears win their first three games and six out of their first seven en route to a 14-5 mark (4-0 region) heading into March 31. And like his mentor, he has not been afraid to use unconventional means. For example, he installed senior journeyman Kris Wishall – primarily a courtesy runner heretofore – as the everyday centerfielder and bestowed upon him the title of captain. Evans also used senior transfer Cody Grant, the team’s starting catch, as a long reliever. The righthander picked up the win in a come-from-behind, 7-5 region win over Tattnall County on March 24, tossing 4 ⅓ scoreless innings, striking out four while walking just one, and yielding just two hits.
Two other seniors – starting shortstop Stetson Bennett and outfielder/pitcher Walker Reddish – solidified the lineup. Two of the team’s college commits, infielder Klay Allen (Georgia Southern) and outfielder Cody Williams (North Carolina), both juniors, have been critical pitching mainstays. Juniors Blake Bishop, Ben Tuten, and Walker Sinclair complement the regular starting lineup. Elsewhere, Nick Golub, Bryce Bowen, Tanner Bryant, Ben Baker, Johnny Waters, Derrin Cox, and Blane Jowers all contributed to the team’s success.
“The people in the community really support us, but they don’t always see what these boys go through on a daily basis,” Evans said. “They work extremely hard, and it shows most of the time on the field. The thing I would want the community to know is that these boys are working hard to represent what this community is. The entire school system goes with ‘Excellence is the standard’ as its motto, and these boys strive to be excellent at what they do. We don’t want to just be good; we want to be excellent. And that goes all the way across the school system and all the way across the community. We’re just trying to keep up that image that everyone else has put forth. And if we can add a little bright spot here and there, that’s what we want to do.”
Practicing what he preaches, Evans always displayed a personal commitment toward academics. A high school honor graduate, he was named to the Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll several times at GCSU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s in kinesiology. Evans now works daily with high-risk academic students at the PCHS alternative school. He holds certifications in special education (K-12), middle school science, and physical education.
Evans was recognized by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as the area FCA’s Coach of the Month. He is engaged to Lacie Dowling, the head girls basketball coach at PCHS. They will tie the knot this summer. Already a rising star in the coaching ranks, Evans has every reason to expect an equally promising future, and his confidence remains high regarding PCHS baseball. He is particularly appreciative of his staff, which includes assistants Jacob Evors and Tyler Rogers, as well as the Bears character coach, Lynn Harris, and trainer, Marlin Brown.
“Winning is important, but I think a lot of people focus on just winning,” Evans said. “In my short experience, if you simply go after the winning, it’s not going to work as well as trying to make them better and trying to make them the best team they can be. But If you do the things right with the boys and you put the work in, you put the time in, and they know that you care about them, the winning takes care of itself.”
Coach’s Corner/Southeast/Apr. 2017
Andrew Evans
Pierce County High School
Blackshear, Georgia
Story by John DuPont
Photography by Jennifer Carter Johnson
Blazing His Own Trail
