Evans Diamond has hosted many great baseball teams from Cal. It opened as Edwards Field in 1933, but was soon renamed Evans Diamond after Clint Evans, the longtime coach of the Golden Bears. Over the years, it has witnessed two College World Series champions and 12 conference champions.
The 2,500 seat venue with a 395 foot deep centerfield has witnessed its share of baseball glory. It was there when Cal won the first ever College World Series in 1947 and was still standing when the Golden Bears won it all again ten years later. It witnessed 21 of Clint Evan’s 24 seasons as Cal’s head coach. George Wolfman took charge after Evans retired and stayed at the school until 1973, adding two more conference championships to the school’s trophy case.
The field witnessed the forgettable years of Jackie Jensen from 1974 to 1977 and witnessed the rebirth of the program when Bob Milano took over in 1978, staying until 1999, adding one more conference championship. The old ball park was still standing throughout David Esquer’s reign from 2000 to 2017 and Cal still calls it home today as Mike Neu tries to build a contender.
Sam Chapman, Jackie Jensen, Earl Robinson, Andy Messersmith, Rod Booker, Lance Blankenship and Jon Zuber have all called Evans Diamond home before moving on to their own careers in the major leagues. Though the championships may be few and fleeting, the old ballpark still stands strong, quietly waiting for the next glorious spring when 2,500 can stand and cheer on their beloved Golden Bears.
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