How faith, not South Carolina baseball, defines Evan Stone

South Carolina baseball senior Evan Stone is a lot of things. He’s a son, grandson, and friend. He is also an outdoorsman. He’s a golf fan and admires Scottie Scheffler. He’s a Gamecock outfielder (though, he has dabbled a little on the infield with USC, too). But more than all of that, Evan Stone is a Christian. While all of those other things are important to him, it is Stone’s faith that defines him.

Listening to the Dutch Fork High School product talk, that’s easy to see. The USC senior took some time to tell GamecockCentral his story.

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As long as he could remember, Evan Stone had been defined by athletic accomplishment. He was a standout baseball and football player when he was young, and that carried over into high school. That’s when things changed for him.

Earlier in life, the Gamecock outfielder remembered, “I knew Jesus’ name but didn’t really know who Jesus was.” Stone delivered those words during a recent opportunity he had to speak at South Carolina’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). It wasn’t until high school that his life stopped completely revolving around sports. “[Sports] were the top priorities in my life…[then] I gave my life to Christ. I was like, ‘Christ should be the most important thing in my life.'” Several of his South Carolina baseball teammates came to support him and his message.

According to Stone’s testimony, there’s plenty of thanks to go around.

He credits the foundation installed by his parents. “I was blessed,” he said, “to where my parents both believed in Jesus and put [Him] in my life.” His parents told him that, one day, he would understand why church was so important to them. They were right.

He also credits the influence of his church and a high school mentor named Brett. Stone said, “I plugged into a really good small group with Brett. I met some of my best friends from this group, and we would just dive into the Word,” he recalled. During his FCA testimony, Stone even referred to Brett as a “spiritual father.”

He credits, too, a devastating injury. During his sophomore year of high school, he tore his ACL playing football. He missed a lot of time dealing with the knee issue, but he remembered the biblical story of Job during the hardship. As Stone retold the story, “[Job] had everything you could ask for, you know? He had land, he had a big family, he had a bunch of livestock…The Lord said, ‘Test my servant, Job.’ So, [Satan] pretty much took everything Job had. But Job’s response was humbling. He said, ‘The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, but blessed be the name of the Lord’ (Job 1:21).” Stone told GamecockCentral that he vividly remembers praying to the Lord to give him a trial to test his faith. One ACL tear later, the Lord tested but also firmly established his faith.

Most importantly, however, he credits God’s own work. Stone told his FCA audience, “Christ came to this earth—the same earth that we live on—He faced all the temptations that we face, but He lived a perfect life. Then, He died a death that I deserve—that we all deserve—so that when we put our faith in Him, we are given the greatest gift we can ask for, and that’s salvation.” And though perfection is far from Stone’s capabilities (or anyone else’s, for that matter), he rests believing that the Lord pursues forgiveness for His people when they fail.

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Stone’s path, one that he tries always to give over fully to God’s direction, has stayed in line with athletics. His perspective on sports, though, looks vastly different.

Before high school ended (366 days after his first knee surgery, in fact), he tore his ACL again. He remembers it being a difficult recovery like all major injuries. However, as he reminisced, he said, “This time, I had Christ.” Stone had a different type of peace, hope, and optimism than the first time he dealt with the injury.

He also had a new purpose. Sure, he rehabbed and got back on the baseball field, but that was secondary. Stone argues that the only thing that truly matters now is his relationship with God; all the other good things in life are part of that relationship. “What should be most important in my life is Jesus and my relationship with Him…I’ve been trying to spread His name and His kingdom.” He added, “I’m not defined by the success I might have in baseball…I play this game for Him.”

As evidenced by his injury, becoming a Christian didn’t eliminate his struggle or difficulty. But, even through the pain, he reminded himself of his forever goal: “I want to live for Jesus.” Like everyone, there are times he fails in that pursuit, but his relationships—both with God and with others—have helped him fight to do the right thing.

As he worked his way back from the second knee ailment, Stone kept in mind a biblical teaching that stems from Colossians 3:23. The verse reads, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” So, that’s what he’s done. And when he made his way back to the diamond, he played with that same mindset.

Stone’s hard work eventually earned him an offer from his hometown Gamecocks. He joined the South Carolina baseball team ahead of the 2022 season and has played off and on since that time. He has flashed some impressive leather as a centerfielder, and he had a two-homer game against Missouri in 2023.

Off the field, Stone continues to run his race. Just like it was in Brett’s high school small group, Stone’s relationships help keep him grounded in his faith. Some of those relationships are with his teammates (he specifically mentioned fellow upperclassmen Will Tippett and Blake Jackson as two of his closest friends), and some are found in his church, Radius Church’s Southside campus.

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Stone’s senior season is approaching, and some things look different, while others look the same.

On the “different” side of things, Paul Mainieri is now the headman in Columbia. The legendary coach has brought some needed discipline and structure to the Gamecocks. According to Stone, though, “it’s all good vibes around here.” If the Gamecocks can improve their on-field discipline from last year while also playing loose and confidently, there is enough talent on the 2025 roster for USC to make a postseason run in Mainieri’s first year. “We’re all busting our tails…the end goal [is] Omaha and a championship,” he stated.

For “same,” Stone still has his give-it-his-all mentality. If Coach Mainieri calls his number, he still will be a guy who throws his body into walls to make catches and runs the bases at 100% at all times. He also still will prioritize Sunday chapel services with his teammates, whether at home or on the road. His life includes baseball prominently, but it isn’t defined by it.

But most importantly, as Stone summarized, “At the end of the day, I’ve already won, and I’ve won forever.”

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