January 27, 2013

Latest News & Notes…

Knights staff members spent a long time trying to get the ice off of their cars last Friday afternoon. It was a weird scene. It was cold, rainy, and it was not what I expected when I left PA for SC.

But, I always look on the bright side. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in about two weeks which means baseball season is near! Now, as I sit here looking for something to watch on TV (no way will I watch the Pro Bowl), I long for the days of catching a baseball game on the tube and working on Knights game notes. Before you know it, baseball season will be here! Can’t wait!

The Chicago White Sox have been active this offseason — adding depth to their organization. Over the past few weeks, I have profiled a few players. Keep an eye out as I will continue to profile players during the offseason.

Jason Coates – Coates was selected by the White Sox in the 29th round of the 2012 Draft. The Sox recently signed the TCU product to a contract and the sooon-to-be 23-year-old will continue to rehab from an ACL tear in his right knee. The injury, which occurred in a game in May (2012), ended his career at TCU. The injury also caused Coates to drop in the draft. He was projected to be drafted in the first 10 rounds.

It wasn’t the first time he was drafted either. The Texas native was originally selected by the Orioles in the 12th round of the 2011 Draft, and decided to go back to school for his senior year.

On May, 29, 2012, after his season-ending injury, Coates was quoted as saying, “When it happened, I was devastated, but in the long run, it’s just a little bump in the road.”

In the end, Coates left his mark on TCU and finished his career among the school’s All-Time leaders. He ranks 1st in at-bats and doubles, and 2nd in games, hits, RBIs, and total bases.
Player Card

Steven Evans – Evans was signed by the White Sox on January 9. A native of Amherst, VA, the 23-year-old southpaw was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 13th round of the 2011 Draft. In his first professional season, the 6’4″ left-handed pitcher posted a 3-1 mark with a 1.54 ERA in 21 games for the Elizabethton Twins (Rookie League). He was a teammate of Twins top prospect Miguel Sano.

In 2012, Evans split time with Elizabethton and Beloit — appearing in a combined 10 games out of the bullpen.

As a college player, Evans was sharp on the hill. A product of Liberty University, Evans was named to the 2010 Big South All-Tournament team. He had two very good outings against nearby Winthrop University.

On May 20, 2010, he fanned nine batters over eight shutout innings, while allowing just five hits in an 8-2 victory at Winthrop. On May 26, Evans went the distance, giving up two runs on seven hits, striking out nine and walking one in a 7-2 victory over Winthrop in Liberty’s opening game of the Big South Baseball Championship.
Player Card

Stay tuned for more player updates later this week!