July 17, 2015
D1Baseball Assistant of the Year Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - After guiding a dominant Missouri State pitching staff that paved the way to one of the greatest seasons in school history this past spring, Bears pitching coach Paul Evans was named Assistant of the Year by D1Baseball Friday.
Evans, who completed his 27th season as Missouri State's pitching coach this year, led a Bears staff that featured three All-Americans who helped lead MSU to a school-record 49 victories and the program's second NCAA Division I Regional crown. Under Evans's tutelage, the Bears paced the Missouri Valley Conference and ranked among the nation's top teams in earned run average (2.91), strikeouts (553), WHIP (1.22) and shutouts (9), holding the opposition to three runs or less in 37 of their 61 games.
The Bears (49-12) set program records for wins and strikeouts en route to capturing both the MVC regular-season and tournament titles and sweeping the Springfield Regional field. Several MSU hurlers enjoyed banner seasons under the direction of Evans, including junior Matt Hall, who shattered the Valley's 33-year-old single-season record for strikeouts with a Division I-best 171 punchouts while matching the Bears' program standard for victories (12). The consensus All-American punctuated his season and MSU career with a dominant one-hit, 3-1 victory over Arkansas at the Fayetteville Super Regional to bring the Bears to within one win of advancing to the College World Series.
Fellow junior All-America pick Jon Harris flourished in his third year as a Bear as well, notching an 8-2 record, a 2.45 ERA and 116 strikeouts before becoming the fifth MSU pitcher taken in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft in June, going 29th overall to Toronto. He also became the fifth Bear to be named MVC Pitcher of the Year and was a Golden Spikes Award nominee. Sophomore closer Bryan Young completed the triumvirate of Missouri State All-America pitchers, notching a club record 16 saves to go along with a 7-0 mound mark and 1.30 ERA. The right-hander was one of five finalists for the NCBWA's National Stopper of the Year Award.
Additionally, junior right-hander Sam Perez and sophomore lefty Jordan Knutson blossomed under Evans's guidance, turning in career years to help MSU earn its first-ever national seed in the NCAA Championship. Perez went 9-1 with a 3.31 earned run average and one save as a key cog out of the Bears' bullpen, while Knutson logged a 6-2 mark and a 3.16 ERA as MSU's No. 3 starter.
The landmark 2015 season continued a string of unprecedented success for Evans and his Missouri State pitching pupils. Over the past decade, Evans has helped develop four of the highest MLB Draft picks in MSU history, with Brett Sinkbeil going 19th overall in 2006, Ross Detwiler as the sixth overall pick in 2007 and Pierce Johnson as the 43rd overall pick in 2012 prior to Harris's selection this season. In fact, Evans has mentored five first-rounders in the last 14 seasons, including John Rheinecker, who went 37th overall in 2001.
A total of 58 hurlers have signed pro contracts under Evans' tutelage, with at least one in each of his 27 seasons and 10 advancing to the Major Leagues. Additionally, Evans has seen three Bears selected to pitch for Team USA: Jarrod Mays (1995), Bob Zimmermann (2001 and 2002) and Detwiler (2006).
