by Eric Walker

Stats as of July 13, 2017.

Athens, OH -- It is rare for a college baseball player to play for the same summer ball team two years in a row as they normally try to find tougher competition every year. The Copperheads have a completely new team this summer with one exception: Evan Haberle, a 2017 GLSCL All-Star in his second year wearing the orange, yellow, and green.

Haberle wanted to be a Copperhead again this summer, and his coaches at Santa Clara University obliged.

“I enjoyed the coaching staff, I enjoyed the team. I love Athens. I just mostly liked the atmosphere and I wanted to be a Chead again," Haberle said.

The Beaverton, Oregon native has more home runs, walks, and runs scored in 56 at-bats this year than in the 73 at-bats he had last summer. In his junior season, Haberle made 30 starts for the Broncos, and Copperheads' head coach Phil Butler sees the difference that playing time made on Haberle's game.

“You always expect a guy to mature after another year of getting full-time playing time, but he's clearly came in in better shape than he did last year. I think that's been a significant difference for him," Butler said.

Haberle joined the squad late as school ended for him in the second full week of June. Once he got to Athens, he wasted no time showing Copperhead fans what to expect.On June 21, his third game in a Southern Ohio uniform this summer, he hit the game-tying two-run homer in a road matchup against the Richmond Jazz.

At the plate, the ball has been looking like a watermelon to Haberle as he's recorded hits in all but two starts. He's also put together six multi-hit games. His .375 batting average and .493 on-base percentage are team-highs if you exclude anyone under 25 at-bats.

Haberle has already accomplished his individual goal for the season of being an All-Star, but there is still work to be done to accomplish his team's goal: capturing the GLSCL title, which would be the first in Copperheads history.

"Win a championship mostly," Haberle said of his goals for the year. "in a championship, make the all-star [game]. I want to do it all."

In his second year with the Copperheads, Haberle is more of a veteran presence on the team than he ever was last season.

“I think I just bring a ton of experience and leadership that most other players can't bring,” Haberle said. “It's just really nice to help the young guys and show them the right way to go about their business and the right way to do things."

Don’t expect to see Haberle playing the same position each night. He has made a start in left field, third base, first base, and also designated hitter. Haberle normally appears in the same area of the lineup every game; the middle of the order, usually in the spot before or after Blaine Crim.

The Oregon native grew up in Beaverton but attended Jesuit High School in Portland before making his way south to Santa Clara. He will begin his senior year at Santa Clara University in the fall.

Coming from the West Coast to Athens was not a solo mission for Haberle as he asked his Santa Clara coaches for another player to join him. The coaches tabbed Zach Walsh to join the fun, and both have helped one another in different ways.

"It definitely helps out a lot because he's a very social person. It helps out a lot getting to meet new people,” Walsh said.

For Haberle, this summer is not only about stacking W's in the win column, but also about improving his own game before his final year at Santa Clara.

“As long as we're winning games everything's good, just trying to work on getting better and getting ready for the season next year," Haberle said.

The Copperheads currently sit in third place in a tight Southern Division race, but with the way the Bronco-turned-Chead can spark this lineup, don't count the Copperheads out just yet.