Coming off a 48-15 season at Jacksonville State, senior right-hander pitcher Jackson Evers was looking for the best situation to finish out his collegiate career.
He's convinced he found it with the UL Ragin' Cajuns.
"I looked at Louisiana, and going into the atmosphere that they have, and the coaching staff, and getting along with all of them, that was really important," said Evers, who said the coaching change at Jacksonville State led him to the transfer portal. "It became a choice I knew that I really wanted to make, and I really wanted to be a part of something special that they have going on."
Evers is a native of Madison, Mississippi, and originally signed with Ole Miss out of high school before playing two junior-college seasons at Northwest Florida.
"We had a special year (at Jacksonville State) with a lot of special guys," Evers said. "It was phenomenal being a part of something like that."
Evers did everything from start games to being the closer during his two seasons at Northwest Florida. As a junior this past season, Evers said he found a niche with the pitching staff that worked with the Gamecocks.
"Once I understood what my role was, even if it wasn't a lot of innings, having the role that I had meant something to me," Evers said. "If things didn't go great in the first part of the game, I would come in and get the ball rolling again.
"It was a high-leverage moment is what they like to call it. It would be sixth inning on ... to go out there and get an inning or two innings."
For the season, the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder was 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA over 15 appearances. In 17β
innings, he allowed 18 hits, 11 walks and 20 strikeouts.
"I went in with just fastball, slider, splitter," Evers said. "That's what we would go with, and I just made simple tweaks throughout the year. If it was changing grips, if it was moving to a sinker that I didn't throw a lot, it would add something for the hitters to be slowed down and then sped back up.
"That's what we did. So halfway through the year, things started to look different in a good way. You look at the production in the later half, it was what we really wanted."
Opponents hit .265 against him during the season.
"I think that it's a wide variety of what I have experienced doing," Evers said. "That will definitely go into play and that's what I'm excited for (at UL)."
Evers isn't expecting his role to be defined in Lafayette until after he proves himself.
"I think it is going to be me getting on campus, because nothing's ever given to you," he said. "Nothing's ever promised to you. I know that I'm going to have to work regardless.
"That's what I love about this program, and what they have going on. Nothing is given, and everything is earned, and that's what I love about coach (Matt) Deggs, coach Thib (Seth Thibodeaux) and coach (Taylor) Sandefur."
Evers is the fifth pitcher the Cajuns have added from the portal this offseason, joining the Marshall trio of Charlie Krebs, Blaine Albright and Griffin Miller, and UTSA right-hander Kendall Dove.
The Cajuns also have added Texas State designated hitter Manny Salas and Kansas State infielder Micah Kendrick.