Ten 49ers receive athletic scholarships

While winning games is always important and the way to judge a team’s success on the field, it’s not the only goal Yuba College baseball coach Ryan Evangelho has set for his program.

Sending his players on to play at the next level and having them continue their education has always been the top priority for the 49ers fifth-year coach, and this year, he had his biggest haul yet.

In all, 10 Yuba sophomores have received athletic scholarships to play at four-year colleges next year, and Evangelho couldn’t be happier to see the players he helped mold continue their playing careers.

“At this point, there is no one in the state who has sent more people on to the next level this year than us, which is awesome,” Evangelho said. “We’re a springboard for these guys, and we’re excited about that. It just shows the amount of trust college coaches have in me and my coaching staff. That’s why they keep coming back asking about our guys.”

The list of 49er signees includes five pitchers in Garrett Ham (Mcpherson College), Tyler Minton (Simpson University), Jake Olofson (Kansas Wesleyan), Justin Smith (UC Davis) and Zack Terry (Simpson University).

Also signing were shortstop Weston Gaddis (Park University), catcher David Miller (Simpson University), utility infielder Kreighton Tsuruda-gaspar (William Jessup) and catcher Andrew Schnitzius (Lyon University).