The Coastal Plain League has announced Evan Johnson of the Wilmington Sharks the 2022 recipient of the Bruce Winkworth CPL Scorekeeper of the Year award.
“I am thankful for this honor,” said Johnson. “I’ve enjoyed being a part of the Wilmington Sharks and the Coastal Plain League for six seasons. The experience has allowed me to see some fantastic baseball and grow my love for the game. I take pride in keeping an accurate book and making diligent scoring decisions involving young players striving to advance their careers.”
A CPL scorekeeper holds duties such as scoring each game both in hard copy form, as well as updating the live stats in real time for fans following along at home. In addition to their nightly duties they are responsible for working closely with the league office in reviewing any scoring change requests that are sent in as well as making sure all players stats are correct on the league’s website. Johnson was selected based on his ability to complete each of these tasks promptly and accurately, showing a great aptitude for the stats program and scoring a game overall. Furthermore, he showed a clear passion for the analytics and statistics side of the game of which was evident in his commitment to making sure his work was accurate.
“I never imagined the number of wonderful people I’d meet via this opportunity,” continued Johnson. “There are Sharks players, visiting players, coaches, aspiring broadcasters, fans, parents and plenty of coworkers that I will keep in touch with for life. I would like to specifically thank Commissioner [Justin] Sellers and the CPL as well as The Sharks organization as a whole, including the three GM’s during my tenure – Pat Hutchins, Carson Bowen, and Allan Lusk. Last but not least, thank you to the ‘Unseen Heroes’ of Buck Hardee Field that make the magic happen every evening. Fins Up!”
Bruce Winkworth Award:
Bruce Winkworth became a baseball fan as a kid, learning from his father how to score the game in a scorebook, while picking up strategy by playing card games with his older brother. He worked for several decades as an assistant sports information director at NC State, overseeing baseball, wrestling, volleyball and cross country. While around the Wolfpack baseball program, Winkworth spent time with three different head coaches, countless assistants and players, assisted a number of reporters and influenced many others that met him along the way. One such person was Justin Sellers, whom Winkworth shared his passion for baseball with, nurturing him into a student of the game, including the rules and how to properly score. To this day, Sellers, now the Commissioner of the Coastal Plain League, credits his longtime mentor with igniting his love of the game and his start in the CPL. In 2015, Sellers had the opportunity to bring Winkworth in under the CPL umbrella as the official scorer of the newly formed Holly Springs Salamanders. Easily the most experienced scorekeeper in CPL history, Winkworth didn’t look for any recognition, stating quite seriously a number of times that he would quit if given an award as he felt he was simply doing the job he was hired to do. Just before the start of the 2019 season, Winkworth passed away following an 18-month battle with lung cancer. In an effort to honor and remember his contribution to the game we all love, the Coastal Plain League has dedicated its Scorekeeper of the Year Award in memory of Bruce Winkworth.
