Road Warrior

GEORGIA SOUTHERN ALUMNUS SEARCHES FOR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL’S NEXT BIG THING

Dustin Evans (‘11) is a road warrior.

Long days and long nights. Lonely back roads, different hotels and driving six or seven hours at a stretch. For months at a time, Evans hits the road, traveling town-to-town across Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia, while his wife Ashley is working in Jacksonville, Fla. He’s scouting the boys of summer, in search of the next top talent to take to the big leagues.

At the age of 28, Evans has joined the select ranks of Major League Baseball scouts with the Seattle Mariners. This is an impressive accomplishment at a relatively young age when most professional scouts are decades older. “There are 10 to 15 scouts for the Mariners spread all across the U.S. from California and Texas to Nevada,” said Evans.

The demanding day-to-day grind of a scout requires discipline that most people don’t have. Evans, however, sees it another way. “Scouting does involve a lot of travel, but when you love what you’re doing, it’s not even like working. I might be on the other side of baseball in the stands, but this is where my passion lies,” he explained, about his connection to the game.

Evans brings a well-rounded perspective to the world of scouting — he spent many years on the diamond where he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds straight out of high school, was a pitcher for Eagles baseball, then was later drafted by the Atlanta Braves.

Evans’ road to a successful career in baseball began in Taylorsville, Ga., where he grew up on his family’s farm and began playing the sport at the age of five. “I didn’t start pitching until I was 14,” Evans recalled about his childhood. In fact, his year-round dedication to the sport included throwing baseballs in the snow with his dad.

During high school, Evans got his first taste of what professional baseball life was really like. “I played with the East Cobb Yankees, and we were ranked number one in the nation. My senior year, we won the national championship. We were playing games every day and traveling from Memphis, Tenn. to New Mexico.”

Evans’ stand-out talent caught the eye of the Cincinnati Reds, and he was drafted in the 28th round by the Major League team. Evans, however, had other ideas. “The opportunity was not right at the time to start my professional career, and college was the route my family and I thought was best. Plus, there is no greater place to play than J.I. Clements Stadium,” he said.

During his collegiate career, Evans compiled a 20-12 record in 49 career appearances during three seasons. “My best year was my sophomore year,” he recalled. “One of the highlights was striking out 14 guys in a seven-inning game against Mercer,” he added. As a three-year letterman, Evans was also named a Top Prospect by Baseball America and SoCon Pitcher of the Week.

In 2006, Evans was selected as the second round draft pick for the Atlanta Braves. “Playing professional baseball was a dream come true,” he said, “and I was ready to start another chapter in my life. Two days after I signed, I headed to Orlando for training camp. I had no clue what to expect,” he said. For the next few years, Evans was a right-handed starting pitcher for the Danville Braves, Rome Braves, Myrtle Beach Pelicans and the Mississippi Braves.

Evans quickly learned the Minor Leagues were a world away from his collegiate career. He was playing 120 games a season every day during the course of six to seven months, with some bus trips as far away as Wilmington, Del. “It was all baseball, all day,” he said.

After playing three seasons, Evans suffered a career-ending injury. “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play professional baseball, but I was ready to begin another chapter in my life,” he said. Evans returned to Georgia Southern to complete his degree, began volunteering with Eagles baseball, and was hired as director of operations for the team. He assisted pitching coach B.J. Green by working with the pitchers on strength training, most notably, former Eagles pitcher Chris Beck, who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox last spring.

Last fall, Evans began his sought-after job with the Mariners, scouting high school and college players. In the process, he has made a few new discoveries since his days on the pitching mound.

“The game of baseball is evolving. Players are getting bigger, faster and stronger, and with baseball, they are figuring out the tiny nuances, like how to condition your body through strength training. I’m seeing guys that hit farther and throw a lot harder,” he added.

Another day on the road always means there is another chance Evans might discover baseball’s next new talent. “It varies — I might visit a college pitcher today to watch his bullpen and the game, and a hitter tomorrow. I might find that one guy that a lot of other people haven’t seen. There’s a lot of talent out there, and sometimes you don’t have to go too far to find it,” he said.

– Mary Beth Spence