Q&A with Southeastern CC (IA) commit Edward Eveland
January 26, 2023
One of the biggest of the year, RHP Edward Eveland (Lake Mills, 2023; Southeastern CC (IA) commit), really made a name for himself across a couple of quality performances in front of our staff. The first of these looks came during the high school season as he and his Lake Mills squad took on the Columbus Cardinals. Eveland got the start for the L-Cats and used a fastball in the low-to-mid 80s to strike out nine over his six innings. After this impressive performance Eveland was definitely on our staff’s radar but during July’s Top Prospect Games is when he truly cemented himself as one of the top uncommitted arms in the state. While our Top Prospect Games event is typically one of our most talented events on our calendar, the roster in 2022 was one of the most talented we have seen in recent years, as it featured many of the top prospects in the states 2023 and 2024 class. With all the talent onhand, there were many prospects who had impressive performances but Eveland’s simulated inning was arguably the most memorable to our staff. During his stint on the mound, Eveland featured a slight uptick in velocity as he topped at 87.8 mph and was able to spot up all three of his pitches which helped him strike out all three batters he faced. After walking away from this event as arguably the biggest winner, Eveland catapulted himself up our rankings and settled in at the No. 53 spot.
To cap off his breakout 2022, Eveland announced his commitment to Southeastern CC (IA). We recently had the opportunity to talk with Eveland about his recruitment process, favorite baseball memory, and much more in this edition of our Q&A series.
LATEST SCOUTING REPORT
OUR Q&A
PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?
Eveland: Well, what I was really looking for was a good home for me to fit in at. Also for a coach that I can actually trust to help me get to where I want to go with my baseball career.
P: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?
E: Yes, location played a pretty big factor in my decision. It was between Iowa and Illinois that I wanted to go for my first 2 years of college baseball.
P: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?
E: It really started to heat up when PBR came to my high school game to watch LHP Christian Oppor (Columbus, 2022; Gulf Coast State College). Then they saw me and got some good stuff on me and then I kept getting invited to all these showcases and really put the work in during off seasons. Southeastern saw me play at a tournament in Iowa during the fall and really liked what they saw.
P: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?
E: Southeastern’s indoor facility’s really got to me, it is unlike any other JUCO is the country. They have a big dome that they can play baseball in year round.
P: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?
E: Iowa central, Upper Iowa University, College of Lake County.
P: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?
E: Christian Oppor, what made him so hard to face was that I knew what he could do. But when we beat the team that he played for which was Colombus, it felt really good.
P: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?
E: When I was about 15 I started to see myself really grow, and being able to throw in the mid-to-upper 80s
P: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?
E: Work hard, and go get your dream. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t do something.
P: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?
E: Learning the game of baseball, if my dream doesn’t come true when I get to that point I will most likely become a baseball coach because I have learned so much about the sport.
P: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?
E: Hopefully, we make a run for it this year, it’s my last year and I just keep telling my teammates, It’s our last first this year. We should have a good year.
P: If you could steal any tool or quality from another player in the state, what would it be and who would it be from?
E: Being able to throw hard like Christian Oppor, he is one of my biggest idols and I just want to be able to throw over 90 mph consistently.
P: Who is the next talented young player to keep an eye on out of your high school or travel program?
E: C/SS Brody Henderson (Lake Mills, 2024), he plays for Silver Sluggers and has a wicked arm behind the plate.
Scouting Report
Eveland is listed at an athletic 6-foot-1, 175-pounds with plenty of room to fill out. During his inning of simulated gameplay, Eveland arguably pitched one of the best innings of the entire event as he struck out all three batters he faced. While on the hill, Eveland showcased a fastball that he ran up to 87.8 mph, with not a single one dipping below 86 mph. Not only was this slight jump in velo since we last saw Eveland during the high school season impressive, but his ability to spot up with his fastball was also something that gave hitters problems throughout his inning. As for his offspeed offerings, Eveland did spin in a handful of hard thrown breaking balls in the high-70s mph that he spun in the 2,300-2,400 rpm range. Throughout his stress-free inning, Eveland did not allow a baserunner and walked away from this talented event as a major winner.