BY TRUMAN BARTMAN ON JUNE 5TH, 2024. THE MAVERICKS.CA

A CHILDHOOD ASPIRATION

For most young Hatters, the opportunity to play for the Medicine Hat Mavericks is a special one. For Evan Morrison, it is more than that, it is a lifelong dream. 

“It’s nothing but excitement. There are also a few nerves, being the hometown guy adds some pressure, but I’m alright with that. It’s a dream come true. I used to be one of those little kids who would come to the field and see the Mavericks and be like, Oh my god, I want to be like them one day and now it’s finally happened”. 

HOMEGROWN 

Morrison grew up in the Gas City and has been playing the game of baseball since before he can remember. He rose through the Medicine Hat baseball scene and became a standout youngster amongst his peers.

His family has been his biggest supporters, attending all of his baseball games or viewing them online when Morrison was away playing at Western Texas College. Morrison says, “I’m sure they’re going to be a little bit stressed, they will be rooting for me to get my first hit”. 

And in his Athletic Park debut, he did exactly that. Morrison flew a hit into right field and the crowd erupted in celebration! 

FAMILY TIES

In a pressure-filled at bat Morrison delivered, but that’s something he’s gotten used to. Evan’s Uncle Greg Morrison, is the owner/ general manager of the Mavs and was a baseball star himself. 

The last name “Morrison” carries a lot of weight but Evan thinks of himself as “just another baseball player”.  “It doesn’t matter about your last name and as far as what I can control, I just gotta go up there, stick to my approach, stick to what I’ve always been doing”. 

MOMENT 4 LIFE

One thing Morrison has always done is mash the baseball. He knocked nine balls over the fence during his collegiate season, which included what Morrison called his greatest baseball memory to date. 

“Our team was getting no-hit into the last inning, we were down to nothing. The leadoff man walked. I came up, got into a full count and managed to sit on a hanging breaking ball on a full count and I hit it out to tie the game and break up the no-hitter”.

Morrison and Co. would go on to walk things off and win the game two batters later. Despite Evan’s serious demeanour on the field, that win even got him excited. 

DOG MENTALITY 

The player that fans will get accustomed to seeing on the field, isn’t who Morrison is all the time. He described himself as a “fun guy” but when business needs to be taken care of, Morrison says he’s “a dog out there. I try to fight, I try to do anything I can to help the team out. That’s just who I am. I just want to win”.

But what is it that Evan Morrison can provide to help the Mavericks win? What makes him such an X-factor? He says that his approach and routine at the plate play a big role in his success.

“I kind of step up, look at my bat, take a deep breath, and try to get as relaxed as I can. And from the start I’m just hunting fastballs and starting the game hunting fastball”.

Morrison is willing to make adjustments based on the opposing pitcher’s tendencies but he likes to stick to fastball hunting because of the damage that he can do when he gets one in his wheelhouse. 

REPRESENTING THE HAT

From a little leaguer to a powerhouse at the plate, Evan Morrison is a name that will be synonymous with Medicine Hat Maverick baseball for years to come. 

Fans will have the privilege of getting to cheer on one of their own all summer long, and who knows, maybe Morrison will inspire the next generation of Medicine Hat ball players, just like so many of the Mavericks before him.