Pitcher recovers from major injuries to lead the Cowboys’ rotation
By Kyle LoJacono
Gaither senior pitcher Evan Gainey’s welcome to high school baseball almost ended his time on the mound.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound righty got his first opportunity to pitch in a relief appearance against King on April 2 last year. It was also his last outing of his junior campaign.
“It was a rough inning,” Gainey said with a smile.
The senior can joke about it now, but he was doing anything but about a year ago. Gainey went two innings against King and had just gotten out heavy-hitting Keon Barnum. He threw a high fastball to the next batter looking to get ahead in the count when it happened — a line drive that hit him in the face breaking two bones near his right eye.
“The next pitch came right back and it hit me before I could really see it,” Gainey said. “It just swept me off my feet, and I was done from there.”
Cowboys coach Frank Permuy thought that would be the end of Gainey’s pitching career.
“I thought he’d be scared to get back out there,” Permuy said. “He’s worked a lot during the summer and fall and found himself a nice little curveball and changeup. He’s got three pitches now. Without him I don’t know where we’d be.”
Gainey wasn’t eased back into pitching this year. He started Gaither’s first game, a contest at Hillsborough on Feb. 14. The results were much better for him, throwing a five-inning complete-game no-hitter with 10 strikeouts. The Cowboys won 11-0, Gainey’s first career victory.
“I was just in the zone,” Gainey said. “It was a really good game.”
Gainey also dominated Alonso on March 13 in the Saladino Tournament. Gainey shut out the defending Class 6A state champs 4-0, allowing only four hits with four strikeouts. Overall he is 4-2 with one save and a 1.02 ERA in 41 innings while holding opponents to a .132 batting average. His 49 strikeouts are the most of any pitcher at a Hillsborough County public school.
“Gainey has really stepped up,” said senior outfielder Hayden Kelley. “He’s thrown a couple of gems this year. He came out of nowhere. We’ve seen him in practice, but to do what he’s done this year is something we really needed because we lost two senior starters from last year.”
Gainey said of his breakout performance this year, “It’s a little surprising because I’d only been in that one varsity game before this year, but I worked really hard in the offseason. I’m not completely surprised because I know I really was trying to get better, but I’m certainly very happy.”
Gaither hosts district rival Steinbrenner on Friday, March 30 at 7 p.m.
–All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches
