Baseball Scotland’s Opening Day games were staggered by a week for the Granite City Oilers as they played host to the Edinburgh Giants. The Giants had let the previous week’s game slip through their grasp and looked to right the ship in their second game of the season however, the Oilers had other plans. Scoring in each of the first 6 innings Granite City was able to overpower Edinburgh for the 18-0 victory. Two key contributors for the home team were Stephen Evans and Ross Crawford.
Stephen pitched 5 scoreless innings while only giving up 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10 and helped his own cause going 1 for 4 from the plate with showing patience with two walks of his own. Ross played left field and went 2 for 4 from the batter’s box including 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 4 runs scored.
Stephen Evans is a Navy veteran who once played with the US Military All-Stars as a middle reliever. Growing up in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Stephen had a love for baseball going back to when he was 4 years old. Coming from a family of St. Louis Cardinals fans he idolized Mark McGwire and Chris Carpenter, even having his pitching style resemble Carpenter’s. Stephen takes a lot of pride in his ability to keep a cool head on the mound and not let frustration get to him no matter the situation he’s in. Leaving the Navy years ago and deciding to go university abroad, he found nearby Baseball Scotland and decided to inquire about it. Helping establish the Aberdeen baseball club, which will hopefully grow to be able to split into multiple teams, right now they have enough to fill one squad, the Granite City Oilers. His ongoing goal is to grow the sport not just through Scotland, but the UK as a whole. Getting a youth program setup that could evolve into a Little League system that we see here all the time is the key to getting to the top goal of sending a team of youngsters with the same love for the game he has all the way to Williamsport. Here’s hoping we see those goals come to fruition.
His teammate Ross Crawford has a much different backstory. Hailing from nearby Lockerbie, Scotland, Ross had an interest in American sports throughout High School. While everyone around him was watching rugby, football, and cricket he was following the NFL, NBA, MLB, and college sports back in North America. A cricket player himself he naturally was drawn to baseball. Only this past September had he put on his first baseball glove and hasn’t stopped playing a moment since. Primarily playing outfield, he enjoys the view of the game from that standpoint and hopes to move from leftfield to center one day. He seems to love the challenges of the game admitting there is much more situational awareness than any other sport and admits he wants to get better at his awareness to be a better ball player. His first goal after making the team was to be a starter, well, first game of the season was a treat for him as his goal was already complete. His next goal is to be on a winning team and with a good attitude and a clean sheet winning their first 18-0, he’s off to a good start. Ross will be making his first trip to the US this summer and will attend his first MLB game. Adopting the Mets as his favorite team, he’s looking forward to going to Citi Field and watching that dominant pitching hopeful secure the team a victory. Watching film on Trout, Yelich, and McCutchen, Ross tries to emulate these stars whenever he’s on the field and there isn’t much better defensively out there to idolize. Go get ‘em kid.
Let’s welcome these guys into the world of Baseball and cheer them on. Good luck this season gentlemen!