In only his second season as head coach of the Eastside High School baseball team, Bruce Evans has been named the Region 4-AAAA Co-Coach of the Year.

“It’s a great honor, and it’s nice to be recognized by my peers, but I didn’t do it alone,” Evans said. “I had a lot of help from our other coaches, parents, and all of the support, so I share this honor with them.”

This award follows a fantastic year by the Eagles. After finishing the 2016 season in the No. 3 spot in Region 4-AAAA with a 12-4 record, the Eagles made it all the way to the Final Four in the GHSA state baseball playoffs, shocking many people along the way.

“A lot of the bigger schools in Georgia had advantages over us, but we showed that if you play as a family, you can compete on the same level as the schools with open enrollment,” Evans said.

As Evans enters his third season next year, he says he has plenty of room for younger guys to join the team. He regarded himself as a coach that will play kids “no matter what grade they’re in.”

“The best player is going to play,” he said.

After such an unbelievable season, any player coming to play under Evans must be ready to work and help advance the team even further.

“There’s a big expectation to get back to the playoffs next year,” Evans said.