Brotherly duo in Black Sox clash
A long-established New Zealand softball family faces divided loyalties when the Black Sox front up at the TAB Challenge Cup tournament in Auckland.
Cole Evans is the rising shortstop star in the Black Sox top team and his older brother, Rhys, is a third baseman in the Black Sox B side.
The two teams will go head-tohead at Albany’s Rosedale Park today in the opening encounter at a quadrangular tournament with Australia and Japan.
It’s the first time the Black Sox have been back on New Zealand diamonds since winning a record seventh world championships title in Canada in 2017.
Brotherly love will be put aside for seven innings when the Evans duo clash.
‘‘It’ll only be the second time we’ve played against each other,’’ Cole Evans, 20, said. ‘‘It’s going to be interesting. It will be a different feeling, playing against him.
‘‘We’re more used to playing on the same team [with Mt Albert Ramblers and Auckland].
‘‘The only other time we’ve played against each was back in 2014 or 15 when he was picked up by North Harbour, and I was playing for Auckland, at the NFC [National Fastpitch Championships].’’
The Evans pair aren’t the only brothers in opposite dugouts. Reilly Makea will line up in the Black Sox outfield with his brother, Dante Matakatea in the Black Sox B team, coached by their father – four-time Black Sox world champion Thomas Makea.
The Evans’ brothers will don the black jersey on home soil almost 50 years after their grandfather, Stu Kinghorn, represented New Zealand against a touring American team in 1970.
Kinghorn – who coached his grandsons in the successful Mt Albert Grammar team – will be in the stands at Rosedale Park. ‘‘He still loves getting involved,’’ Cole said.
The brothers’ family is steeped in softball. Their aunt, Jan Kinghorn, played for the New Zealand women’s team in the 1980s and their dad, Clive Evans, represented Great Britain at a world championship.
Black Sox coach Mark Sorenson has made it clear that ‘‘it’s a big month’’ for players hoping to nail selection for the 2019 world championships title defence in Prague.
The Evans brothers would love to join the three Auckland siblings – outfielders Ben, Thomas and Campbell Enoka – in the world series squad.
‘‘There are probably eight to 10 guys putting their hands up in the infield now, and they’ll only be taking four or five, so it’s creating a lot of competition,’’ Cole Evans said.
The Black Sox will be favourites for a tournament which, Evans said, features three of the top four teams in the world’’, with only Canada absent.
The Australians have not selected veteran world-class pitchers Adam Folkard and Andrew Kirkpatrick, but have included Layton Reid, who threw a no-hitter in the junior men’s final, and has been playing for North Harbour club, Northcote.
Black Sox B have had to make a late charge with Wellington pitcher Sam Marley replacing injured Aucklander Campbell Gibson.