East County Athlete of the Week: Kaydence Evans

Braden River High junior Kaydence Evans has led the school’s softball team to a 1-1 start. In a season-opening 23-0 demolition of Southeast Feb. 18, Evans went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three runs and five RBIs along with three innings of shutout pitching. Evans followed that with a masterful performance on the mound in a 1-0 loss to Riverview Feb. 20 in which she allowed only one hit, no walks and had six strikeouts. 

When and why did you start playing softball?

I started playing softball when I was 4 years old. I started playing because I used to go out to the fields with my aunt (Elaine Evans) because she used to play. I thought it was fun, so I wanted to get into it. She signed me up for a rec league. It didn’t come natural, but I just kept practicing. 

What’s your favorite all-time memory in softball?

Me and my aunt would go out to the field and practice. She would stand there as a target, and I would have to hit her. It got me into getting my aim down.

What’s your favorite meal? 

A good steak, cooked medium-rare. It has to have a little pink in there. A fully-loaded baked potato on the side.

What’s your favorite TV show or movie?

My favorite movie would probably be '42.' I’m really big on history, so learning about history and baseball was pretty cool.

Do you have any go-to, warm-up songs?

I like listening to rap. It gets me kinda pumped. I don’t think there’s a certain song, but definitely rap music. Just whatever comes on. 

If you’re not playing softball, what are you doing?

I work at the desk at Square Up batting cages and I check people in. If nobody comes in, I’m hitting and doing my own little thing in the cages. If I’m not there, I’m just at home.

What are you most excited about this season?

I’m excited to see the growth in everyone and see everyone be better as a team. I want us to have a winning record.

What’s been your most humbling moment in softball?

There’s always a few. Whenever I’m pitching and someone hits a home run, that’s always humbling, but it just pushes me to practice more and be better.

What does your ideal weekend look like?

A nice beach day, going out with some friends and going to the cages with my aunt. Some hitting, fielding and pitching. 

Have you ever had to come back from an injury?

I had a broken leg I had to come back from. There was a play at home and I had to run back from home and the girl slid incorrectly and slid right into my leg and broke my tibia clean in half. I was 10, so it was a pretty long while ago. It took about a year to fully come back because of all of the physical therapy I had to go through.

Finish this sentence. Kaydence Evans is…

A team player.