Career Satisfaction a top priority for Al Yevoli

By Jacob McDonnell

Spending his second season with the Barnstormers, pitcher Al Yevoli is enjoying his time in Lancaster.

“Lancaster is a great town with great fans,” Yevoli said. “There are so many people who come out to the games no matter what. The team is surrounded by people who want to help the team out and it makes it a great place to play.”

Yevoli came to the Barnstormers in August during the 2015 season. Before coming to the Atlantic League, Yevoli was in the American Association with Wichita and Sioux Falls. He has also spent time in A Ball with the Chicago Cubs organization.

Yevoli isn’t your everyday baseball player. In fact, it wasn’t until high school that Yevoli started having success playing the game of baseball.

“As a child, I never made any All-Star teams and was not very good at baseball until I got to high school,” Yevoli said. “I had to catch up with the guys who were always thought to be great. I had to learn that you can’t just show up and have things given to you.”

Yevoli’s high school team was nationally ranked, and during Al’s time on his high school club the team won its first ever district title for the school.

Yevoli would go on to High Point University, where he still had his fair share of struggles. At one point his struggles were so bad that Yevoli had to transfer out of High Point and finish pitching that season in a summer league back home. That was not the end, however. Yevoli would end up signing to play at Tennessee Wesleyan College, and in his senior year Yevoli was on the National Championship-winning team.

After hitting his lowest point, Yevoli was able to turn his baseball career around, and his journey has continued all the way to Lancaster. At age 26, Yevoli’s career is far from over, and he knows that there is still a lot left out there to accomplish.

“I just want to be happy with my career,” Yevoli said. “I want to look back and not feel like I left anything out there. Winning a professional championship would be great.”