SOFTBALL

Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

Stacey Evans

BUFFALO, NY - Stacey Evans (Collinsville, IL/Triad) knows that practice makes perfect. The sophomore started out playing softball as a child in little league and formed skills that became apparent to her parents and coaches, who decided a concentration in pitching would be a good investment.

Evans set the stage for fellow players as a three-year starter and three-year team MVP at Triad High School in Collinsville, IL. She set school records for career wins and career strikeouts, leading her team to a conference championship title as a junior. According to Evans, "If you try your hardest, your teammates will follow your example and try their hardest too. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't, but you have to give 100 percent all of the time."

It seems as though the UB softball team's Top Newcomer was decided upon long before she was named following the 2002 season. Evans was the first member of the 2002 softball recruiting class to sign. She set a UB single-season record with 101 strikeouts in the 2002 season, which drew to a close with her being named MAC East Pitcher of the Week.

Through experience, Evans has learned which opponents are the toughest to pitch to and how to adjust to them. "Some of the non-conference teams that we play have been pretty good hitters," she said. "Any aggressive team who goes up there swinging and can make contact is usually pretty tough to deal with. In order to adjust to them, I try to hit my spots better and make a break on my pitches."

One particular game this season stands out when reminiscing. "The game against Baylor at the Malihini Invitational in Hawaii was memorable," said Evans. We were winning 1-0, the bases were loaded with two outs and we came through and won, without letting them score." Baylor entered the game ranked 25th in the country, and Evans allowed just two hits in the complete-game 1-0 shutout.

The title of MAC East Pitcher of the Week was given to Evans two weeks in a row this past March. The first naming occurred after she led the UB softball team to a share of the tournament title at the Florida International Tournament, where she pitched three complete games. Evans allowed just one earned run in 21 innings and struck out 26 batters in those three games. The second MAC East Pitcher of the Week naming was after the Malihini Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Evans allowed only 20 hits and seven earned runs in 32.1 innings for a 1.52 earned run average while striking out 23 batters.

Number 18 does not let repetition get in the way of the game. Evans changes things up once in a while by playing third base. She practices by throwing all of her pitches and mixing it up, in order to be ready when the catcher calls the different pitches. Taking things as they come can be attributed to Evans' success and her increased confidence level. She said, "I'm playing with more confidence this season, and that helps a lot."

This UB Scholar-Athlete is a business major who knows how to balance her free time with softball and school. Morning practices allow for the rest of the day to be devoted to schoolwork.

Evans had 18 no-hitters and five perfect games in high school and has toyed with a no-hitter a few times at UB. Last season, she threw a one-hitter versus Kent State and a two-hitter against Miami (OH), and this season, she had a one-hitter against Niagara as well as the two-hitter against Baylor.

With eight strikeouts in a win over local-rival Canisius on Wednesday, April 16, Evans broke her own school record for strikeouts in a season. She now has 105 Ks and eight wins on the year, one more than she had all of last season. She is already UB's career leader with 206 strikeouts.

With less than two seasons behind her, Evans has not yet reached her high point, allowing for more accomplishments up her sleeves. She is making a case for postseason honors from the Mid-American Conference, being among the league's leaders in every statistical pitching category. "I think that I have a lot to work on, such as keeping the lead. I think I can do a lot better than what I'm doing right now," said Evans.

~ Written by Ariella Levine