BRIGHTON — The grainy black and white photo of Greg Everson pitching for the University of Michigan in 1987 shows a familiar sidearm delivery.
Put the pitcher in a Brighton baseball uniform, add color and sharpen the photo for a modern look, and it’s the spitting image of Bulldogs junior Andrew Everson.
Like father, like son.
Everson picked up the unorthodox delivery from his father, who was a relief pitcher at Michigan before rising to the Triple-A level in four minor league seasons.
It served Everson well this spring, as he fashioned the eighth-best earned run average in the past 50 years at Brighton while earning Livingston County baseball Player of the Year from the Livingston Daily.
“He threw sidearm like I do,” Everson said. “He made it all the way to Triple-A. Dude, he was a pitcher. Ever since I was a little kid, I just wanted to throw the ball. There’s no better coach than the one at home. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. I can just go outside and play catch and work on my craft.”
Everson credited a game of catch with his father before Memorial Day weekend for helping him work out an issue prior to a pre-district game against Hartland. Everson went out and threw a three-hitter, fanning 10, in a 4-2 victory over the Eagles.
Everson was particularly effective against Brighton’s rivals. In four games against Hartland and Howell, he didn’t allow an earned run in 22 innings, giving up six hits and four walks while striking out 24. He gave up four unearned runs in those games.
“It’s probably the best feeling I’ve had,” Everson said. “I have friends on both teams. One of my best friends, Neko Hall, plays for Howell. When that game happened, after the game I was talking to Neko. He was like, ‘I was beyond impressed with how you pitched.’ I was like, ‘Dude, you hit three hard line drives off me that were all outs. You’re pretty good, bro.’
“It was good to pitch that way, but also I don’t win those games without the team behind me. I’m not a big strikeout guy; I’m a pitch-to-contact guy and get ground balls. Without my defense, none of those games even happen. It’s great to have a team behind me against these rivals.”
A constant theme with Everson is his willingness to credit his teammates for his success. He’s particularly effusive in his praise for senior catcher Carter Gregg, a second-team all-state pick who helped guide Everson during his first season on the varsity.
“It’s probably the best scenario you could be dropped into,” Everson said. “A guy like Carter has so much knowledge in baseball and of the players I’ve pitched against. He’s known them longer than I have. He knows who we’re playing, what to throw guys, what guys’ strengths are. He takes away the thinking part for me. It’s more me throwing the ball; that’s when I’m at my best. He did an amazing job taking all that stress off me and calling pitches. I rarely shook him off.”
Everson won the pitching equivalent of the triple crown in Livingston County baseball. He led the county with seven victories, 69 strikeouts and a 0.82 earned run average. He walked only 13 batters in 68 innings and allowed a batting average of .169.
He allowed more than one earned run in a game only twice in 16 appearances. One of those occasions was in a season-ending 8-6 loss to Okemos in the regional championship game. Okemos scored six runs, three of which were earned, off Everson in 4⅓ innings.
“I feel I let a lot of the seniors down,” Everson said. “I know that’s not the case, because it’s a team game, but a lot rests with me. They put a lot of faith in me as a junior to go out and win them a regional championship. I have to accept that happened and move on.”
Everson began moving on once his high school season ended June 8.
He has had great success so far this summer playing for D-Backs Elite, which is based in Dearborn. Everson’s 16-and-under team won the Perfect Game Ohio Valley World Series June 23-24 in Cincinnati and the Pasttime Tournaments national championship June 26-30 in Louisville, Ky.
“I pitched the semifinal in a complete game and closed out the championship, which was an honor to do,” Everson said. “My summer ball team is a lot different than high school, but that’s a good thing. That’s why you’ve got summer ball. In both, I’m having a blast and having fun playing baseball.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
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