Thorpe Award honor surprises Broken Arrow star
BY DUANE DAPRON World Correspondent
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
7/25/12 at 3:47 AM
Jacob Evans knew that his high school career was coming to an end after Tuesday's All-State baseball game.
But the Broken Arrow standout didn't realize that he would finish his prep career with his name being associated with one of the greatest athletes ever.
Evans was named recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award as the state's top baseball player for 2012 prior to the start of the All-State contest, which was played at J.L. Johnson Stadium on the campus of Oral Roberts University.
"It's a big honor and a big surprise," said Evans, a three-year letterman for the Tigers.
"I didn't even know that I was up for the award. I guess all the hard work I have put in has paid off. But it's not over. I need to continue to work hard from here."
Evans, who will join the University of Oklahoma's baseball team this fall, helped lead Broken Arrow to more than 70 victories over the past two seasons and a No. 1 ranking in Class 6A each season.
The Tigers were state champions in 2011 and finished as state runners-up this spring.
Although Broken Arrow (35-5) did not repeat as state champs, it certainly wasn't because of Evans' play.
One the mound, the left-hander finished 10-0 with a 1.94 earned run average.
He amassed 100 strikeouts and just nine walks in 72 innings.
At the plate, Evans topped the Tigers in hitting, home runs, and runs batted in.
In the state tournament, he cracked a home run in his team's quarterfinal victory against Moore, then added a bases-loaded triple to help trigger a Tiger rally in a semifinal victory against Edmond Santa Fe.
"Jacob was a big part of our team in 2011 and he did just an outstanding job this past year," said Broken Arrow head coach Shannon Dobson, who was recognized Tuesday with a region coach of the year award from the Oklahoma Coaches Association.
"He is one of the most clutch hitters that we have had come through our program."
Original Print Headline: Tiger star surprised he earned top honor
Small school game
The Story: A trio of East pitchers combined on a one-hitter while striking out 11.
Top Performances: Starter Matt Benedict from Tupelo and reliever Evan Sanders from Hartshorne fanned four each while Jacob Lux from Wyandotte whiffed three for the East pitchers.
Noteworthy: The East used a pair of West fielding errors and two walks to score three runs in the fifth inning. Clayton Brewster from Cheyenne had the only hit for the West, a single to lead off the seventh inning. Kevin James of Yukon was named Coach of the Year by the Oklahoma Coaches Association.
SMALL EAST 4, SMALL WEST 0
| Small East |
001 |
030 |
0 |
- |
4 |
3 |
1 |
| Small West |
000 |
000 |
0 |
- |
0 |
1 |
2 |
Benedict, Lux (4), Sanders (6) and Miller. Kretchmar, Buller (4), McNaughton (6) and Larue. W: Benedict. L: Kretchmar.
Large school game
The Story: Which was bigger? The West scored in four out of six innings and took advantage of seven East fielding miscues.
Top Performances: Greg Bruno from Midwest City netted three of the West's five hits while driving in a run. Dylan Helms from Eufaula drove in both East runs with a pair of singles.
Noteworthy: West leadoff hitter Colt Pickens from Yukon drew a pair of walks and scored twice. Jacob Evans from Broken Arrow received the Jim Thorpe Award as the state's top high school player in 2012.
LARGE WEST 6, LARGE EAST 2
| Large East |
011 |
000 |
0 |
- |
2 |
4 |
7 |
| Large West |
201 |
210 |
x |
- |
6 |
5 |
2 |
Evans, Coldwell (2), Taylor (5) and Robertson. McPherson, Estep (4), Parker (6) and Shadoan, Perez (5). W: McPherson. L: Evans.
Associated Images:
Jacob Evans of Broken Arrow was given the Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday night as the state's top baseball player. KT KING / Tulsa World
Carson McPherson of Ardmore started the game on the mound for the Large West team at the 2012 Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State baseball game at J.L. Johnson Stadium on the campus of Oral Roberts University on Tuesday. KT KING / Tulsa World
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