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Preseason Countdown: No 24 Evergreen

March 10, 2015

By John Cackowski
State Director

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the top 50 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage. The top 50 teams are picked from all classifications, and are not divided up by class level. To see the entire list click here

Team: Evergreen
Preseason Rank: 24
2014 Record: 18-5
Conference: Jeffco
CHSAA Class: 4A
Head Coach: Dale Hutchens
Playoff Run: Lost to Green Mountain 8-2 in 4A Final 8
2014 Final Rank: 21
Returning Starters: 7
Returning Pitchers: 5

TOP PLAYERS:
Eli Ausman, OF/P, 2015
Alec Moens, INF/P, 2015
Dylan Schmoker, INF/C, 2015
Liam Daly, INF, 2015
Sam Hudd, INF/OF/P, 2015
Jackson Grise, INF/C, 2015
Brandon Corfee, P, 2015
Dane Kapande, INF/OF, 2016

X-FACTOR:
There was a lot of power production lost when Daniel Gibbons graduated. Gibbons hit 7 of the team's 18 homeruns, and 16 of the 18 home runs hit were hit by 2014 grads, and 25 of 38 doubles also came from seniors. The Cougars will have to find a way to produce runs in 2015.

NEW PLAYER TO WATCH:
Ryker Eagen, OF/P, 2017: Eagen had a strong summer for the Cougars. Look for Eagen to push for a starting spot in 2015.

KEY PLAYER LOST:
Brock Burke: Oregon

STAT RAT:
Pitching is the program's strength. In 2014 the Cougars team E.R.A. was a miniscule 1.79 with 175 strikeouts in 145 total innings pitched while only giving up 98 hits.

BOTTOM LINE: 

In 2014 the Evergreen Cougars made the 4A Final 8 only to go two and out and lose to eventual 4A state champion Green Mountain. With graduating pitchers Brock Burke (Oregon) and Jake Englehart (Colorado School of Mines) and the combined 9-2 record and 80 innings from 2014, most probably would think the Cougars are in a rebuilding mode, but that is not the case. The Cougars bring back some power arms with 38 innings of experience from 2014 in Alec Moens (3-0, 2.28 ERA, 2015), Eli Ausman (1-0, 2.08 ERA, 2015), Sam Hudd (2-0, 1.62 ERA, 2015), Brandon Corfee (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2015), and Dane Kapande (1-0, 2.10 ERA, 2016). All of them average more than 1 strikeout an inning. They all also are two way players. Led by Ausman and 2015 INF/C Dylan Schmoker, both hit over .340 in 2014 and drove in a combined 24 runs. Moens will add speed to lineup stealing 10 bases in 2014. 2015 Liam Daly returns 22 AB's to the infield. Hudd will start when not pitching will be bringing back 29 AB's of varsity experience. 2015 Jackson Grise brings back 29 AB's from 2014. As a sophomore in 2014 Kapande hit .412 when given a chance to produce and showed good pop in his bat. Don't sleep on the Cougars in 2015. They are not rebuilding, they are reloading.

 

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