SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — Mechanicsburg native Evan Englebrook's baseball journey has gone full circle as he returns to the team where it all started, but this time as a coach.
In early September, Shippensburg University announced that Englebrook, a Raiders pitcher from 2001-2004, would be returning to the team for the 2025 season as a pitching coach joining Head Coach Matt Jones' staff.
"This feels natural. I love the team colors, and I just love being around this kind of environment with Ship and being on the field again," said Englebrook. "I'm just just grateful to be here and be with Coach [Matt] Jones because he recruited me out of high school [and] was one of the few coaches who believed that I could be a pitcher. So this is cool to come back and help him."
In 41 games with the Raiders, Englebrook was 22-7 and had a 3.39 ERA. In his 2004 senior season, he was named an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) First Team All-American, becoming the first Shippensburg University player in 13 years to be honored.
Following graduation, Englebrook was an eighth-round draft pick by the Houston Astros and spent 11 years in the pro baseball system. He reached as high as the AAA level and did play briefly locally for the Lancaster Stormers in 2011 and 2014.
However, following 13 different teams and five shoulder surgeries during those 11 years, Englebrook turned his attention to coaching and once he finally hung up the cleats, he knew his alma mater was somewhere he would eventually like to be.
"It's great to give back to an organization, to a school that helped me grow into the guy that I wanted to be," said Englebrook. "This is something that I think a lot of players and ex-players, if they had a chance, would love that opportunity to go back to the school that where it all started."
Jones understands the value of having former players on his staff.
"Having someone who went to classes here, ate in the cafeteria, lifted weights and trained here, it's really easy for him," said Jones. "I think his coaching style is similar to when he pitched, he's a savage and wants to win. It's been really good for our players."
"Now that I'm back, I have a fuller view of it and that helps me coach them because I've been here," said Englebrook. "I know what they're going through, and I know what they're going to need in order to get to where they want to go. So it just seems real natural just to be here and it's a good place to be."
A full-circle journey that gives a chance for Englebrook to do what the program did for him, while also getting a chance to complete some unfinished business.
"It feels good because I'm back wanting to do the same thing, which is get the College World Series and let these guys have that experience because we came up short when I was [here]," said Englebrook. "So I'm excited to help these guys, guide them towards that."