Rob Evans Continues to Anchor Miami's Rotation as a Leader and Star Pitcher
CORAL GABLES — The pitching staff for the Miami Hurricanes has taken many hits this season.
The bullpen has been widely inconsistent, Tate DeRias hit a sophomore wall the size of the Great Wall of China, and the starting rotation has been up and down.
However, there has been one consistent in the Canes pitching staff, and head coach J.D. Arteaga struggles to find words to describe what senior lefty Rob Evans has done for the program this season.
"Not really, but I'll try," Arteaga said when asked to describe Evans. "You know, he's anchored our staff, man. He's come in again, and he was great in the fall, great in the spring. Um, you can argue that he was our best guy, you know, and it just kind of carried right into the season, you know.
"He's just been, you know, what a Friday night guy should be. Every time we take the field on a Friday night or Thursday night, whatever. First, give the series, we always have a chance to win, no matter who we're playing or what pitcher they have on the mound."
Evans is one of the top winners in the country this season with a 9-3 record. With a 3.41 ERA, Evans uses his fastball, changeup, and slider to eat innings against some of the best teams in the country, but this stems from his time on the bench last season, waiting for his opportunity.
It has helped him become a leader this team needs, and a pitcher they can rely on.
"I'd say being a good leader," Evans said. "Whether it be actual performance or just helping the guys out off the mound. That's the biggest thing. Um I think last year it's hard to look at yourself as a leader when you're kind of like in that back end role kind of just ready to help get to the next guy, but when you're out there, you're starting it off, you know, the first guy picks the ball in the round. You got to get the you got to set the tone early. You got to be able to lead in many different categories. So I think that's definitely the biggest thing."
Moreover, this is the biggest series of the season for the Canes. No. 11 Florida State has some of the best arms in the country as well as bats, but Evans is not putting too many eggs in one basket. He is taking this as another series, just one with a bit more juice.
"Just the same way that all season doesn't change due to where we're at, who we're playing," Evans said. "Um, the environment, it's just it's a game, right? Go out, throw strikes, get ahead, win counts early, that's it. So, I mean, um, it's a little more energy into it, a little more focus going into it. But when it comes to the actual game plan, it's just going out, doing what I've been doing the whole year, and hopefully that leads to success. But when you do what you've been doing the whole year, it should always get you in the right place."
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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