Evan Byers (UK Athletics Photo)
As Kentucky gets set for its regular-season ending series at Vanderbilt, senior relief pitcher Evan Byers has been named to the Southeastern Conference Community Service Team for the second consecutive year.
A week earlier he was named to the inaugural Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy “Starting Nine.”
Byers is 6-2 with a 4.52 earned run average in 73 career appearances going into tonight’s game at Vanderbilt. This season he is 2-1 with a 5.79 ERA over 14 innings.
Byers has a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average as a current graduate student in sports fitness and recreation management. He won the 2024 NCAA Elite 90 Award given to the top academic performer at the College World Series.
Byers has also been active in the Central Kentucky community throughout his collegiate career. He has volunteered with the Lexington Miracle League, has visited local elementary schools and served as a cook for fundraisers for the Jessamine County Beef Cattleman’s Association. Byers has also worked with God’s Pantry, packing Christmas gift bags for the Cincinnati community and works with Sacred Selections, an organization that raises funds for adoption fees of children into Christian homes.
Kentucky swept No. 17 Oklahoma last weekend and closes SEC regular-season play at No. 9 Vanderbilt.
Kentucky is 13-14 in SEC play and 29-20 overall after a 6-1 win over Northern Kentucky Tuesday.
Kentucky will start Nate Harris on the mound tonight with Nic McCay set to start Friday night and Ben Cleaver on Saturday afternoon.
The Wildcats will play in the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. next week.
