Embracing his past to drive his future

DAVIS, CA (MPG) - Fight to win. Don’t quit. The golden rules that UC Davis baseball fifth-year senior Colton Evans’ grandparents taught him growing up.  

Evans’ grandparents, Glenna Joslin and J.S. Whinery, are members of the Choctaw Nation, a strong Native American influence that embodies who Evans has become, and drives his passion for academics, sports, and life.

“For me, growing up, from the beginning, the Native American lifestyle was always around me,” Evans said. “A big part of who I am is being a cowboy and being a Native American. Both those things represent a huge part of my identity and I’m really proud of both sides. Rather than letting them divide me, I embrace both.

“Both are bound in respect, integrity, and fighting spirit, while, at the same time, treating everyone with love. For me, they have given me a respect for humanity and Mother Nature and, as an individual and student-athlete. On the field, I want to win. That’s where that fighting spirit comes into play. I want to beat you, don’t get me wrong, but I will also respect you.”

 

Following a standout prep career at Pitman HS in Modesto, Calif., about a 90-minute drive south of Davis, Colton came to UC Davis as an English major, and immediately found his place in the community. 

“I loved the team, everyone in this community is so kind,” Evans said. “They’re the kind of people I love to surround myself with. They’re just so positive.”

However, it was during his sophomore year when Evans stumbled upon a new calling thanks to a random conversation during a solo study session on campus at the Native American Academic Student Success Center. 

“I had no idea this was even a thing,” Evans recalled. “I had to check it out. I took my first class and fell in love. That’s when I decided I was going to double major. It was one of my greatest decisions. Homework doesn’t feel like homework, school doesn’t feel like school. I just enjoy it. Finding the NAS major was never part of the plan, but I’m very grateful that it became part of it.”

Through his studies, the need to respect and give back to the Native American community has driven his academic goals. Evans’ passions today include the Buffalo Project, native American Women’s Wilderness project, and striving to right wrongs and seek out injustices to correct. Colton cited the epidemic of indigenous women and the number who go missing or are murdered each year, as he strives to be an advocate for Native voices.

“Those are my people, their blood runs through my veins, so I feel a responsibility to become an individual that does something positive within this community,” Evans said. “All my life, all I ever wanted to do was say, when I’m taking my last breath, when I’m done with my time on Earth, if people can say I was a good person and I made this world a better place, then I did my job. That’s the bottom line. 

“I can help these people, I can learn about the struggles, the trials and tribulations that they are going through, and I can make them my own. I can use my voice to help promote them, let others know what’s going on, and work towards making a difference.”

His connection with his Choctaw ancestors came at a young age at the feet of his grandfather, who had the name “Iceman” bestowed upon him by the tribe when he was born, and his grandmother, who have passed along traditions, not only through stories, but from hands-on experiences that have made an even greater impact.

“I think there is something amazingly intimate about face-to-face experience and learning,” Evans said. “That’s the one thing I appreciate about those moments I have had with my grandparents. When they give that knowledge to me, it gives me an opportunity to connect with the younger generations and pass those lessons on to younger family members. 

“It’s almost like a rite of passage, if you will. For me, when I get the opportunity to introduce my children to these rites, it will be my moment to connect with them and an opportunity for them to build a connection with our culture and our heritage.”

A lot of those rites have come via the family’s work with animals, embracing both his Native American and cowboy heritages. Evans’ most vivid memories of his time with his grandparents include working with horses and cattle on the family farm.

“Being with my grandfather in the pens and just working with the horses, you’re just at peace,” Evans said. “Your mind, your soul, is just quiet. It’s just you and the animal. I’m working with the horse, working on techniques, then my grandfather will say something, and I’ll work on that. I feel like I’m dancing with Mother Nature. It brings me so much peace, I just love the lifestyle.”

Remember that “golden rule” of “don’t quit?” Look no further than Evans’ grandmother.

“My grandmother is 100-percent Native American,” Evans said. “She is 96 years old and there she is outside, at seven in the morning, gardening, picking up pots, working with the land, watering and it’s amazing. I’m 23 and I’m not doing that.

“She’s in her mid-90s and she acts like she’s 25. Goes to work. Drives. She drives! It’s amazing. It makes me proud. She embodies everything that is a strong Native woman.”

Evans has brought that passion and work-ethic with him to UC Davis, where he made a pact with his freshmen class to help change the culture of Aggie baseball. “Win every pitch, don’t stop, win the moment,” is an anthem the team lives by as they continue to better the program each and every day.

“From when we arrived until now, our goal was to better this program, not just in wins and losses, but the demeanor of the team… who we are, what we represent, how we go about our business,” Evans said. “Last year, we were great. It was heartbreaking when we didn’t get our season. We wanted it bad and we worked so hard for it. We changed the culture, we had guys who were motived to do what was right, to practice, to compete. We had everything clicking. 

“That’s why I’m excited going into this season. We have that culture going in, we’re ready to go about our business. No matter what happens, our team is positive and the feeling is contagious. When you get someone motivated, it spreads like wildfire and this is a motivated team and Im proud to call them my brothers.”

And right there watching will be his grandmother and grandfather, who have never missed a game.

“They both mean so much to me because they’ve taught me that there’s nothing in your life you cannot do and I see that in my grandparents every day,” Evans said.

ABOUT UC DAVIS

Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students’ social mobility, UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.