Perseverance is too soft of a word to describe what former Western Nevada College pitcher Evan Parker has been through to be able to pitch again professionally.
Next month, Parker will attempt to pitch for the Ogden Raptors following three elbow surgeries and seven years of rehabilitation and recovery. He is serving as coach and player for the independent league team, which will open its season on May 25.
Parker pitched for the Wildcats in 2012 and 2013, registering a team-low 1.53 ERA in his final season. The hard-throwing reliever then went on to pitch for Dixie State University, where he set a school single-season record for saves and a commanding walk-to-strikeout ratio.
Although Parker went undrafted following two stellar seasons at Dixie State in St. George, Utah, the Milwaukee Brewers signed him as a free agent. He made five appearances for the Brewers in the minors in 2015 before his troubling and recurring elbow issues began.
Read more about his remarkable comeback in the Standard-Examiner at https://www.standard.net/sports/ogden-raptors/2022/mar/31/after-years-of-setbacks-evan-parker-set-to-become-first-ogden-native-to-play-for-raptors/.