Returning player spotlight: Evan Byers

Evan Byers is up next in the Bat Cats Central returning player spotlight series. Byers is entering his fifth season with the Wildcats, joining catcher Devin Burkes as the only remaining player from the 2021 recruiting class on Kentucky’s roster.

Previous player spotlights:

• RHP Robert Hogan
• INF Ethan Hindle
• LHP Ben Cleaver
• RHP Cooper Robinson
• OF/RHP James McCoy
• INF Kyuss Gargett
• LHP Jackson Nove
• C Devin Burkes
• UTIL Patrick Herrera

Background

Byers signed with Kentucky out of Lexington Christian High School in 2021. He was ranked the No. 7 player in Kentucky and No. 1 lefthanded pitcher by Prep Baseball Report, but redshirted his first season on campus. As a redshirt freshman, Byers appeared in four games, allowing five earned runs and two homers. But his role grew as a sophomore as he appeared in 24 games — second most on the team behind Ryder Giles — and finished with a 1.65 ERA in 16.2 innings of work. Byers struck out 14 batters and walked eight that season.