Evan Petzold is a Detroit Free Press sports reporter who covers the Detroit Tigers.

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At the Free Press, Petzold has been the Tigers beat writer since July 2020. He builds relationships front office employees, reports on day-to-day happenings from inside the clubhouse, analyzes decisions from the organization, works on projects/features and travels for event coverage.

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Here are four stories from Petzold on the Tigers beat:

• AJ Hinch, the Detroit Tigers and the fairy-tale ending he's seeking

• What makes Scott Harris the leader to believe in for Detroit Tigers' next generation

• Colt Keith thinks like Conor McGregor, plays like Joey Votto, looks like Detroit Tigers' best prospect

• ​Detroit Tigers' Austin Meadows describes 'anxiety monster' last year, his 'huge step forward'

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Here are four stories from Petzold on Miguel Cabrera's legendary career: 

• How Miguel Cabrera’s epic 500-homer journey to history began in Venezuela

• What makes Miguel Cabrera one of the greatest hitters ever? Just ask the pitchers he faced

• Miguel Cabrera ends legendary MLB run with tales from friends, teammates: 'It was all him'

• ​Detroit Tigers icon Miguel Cabrera finishes 21-year MLB career with 'a dream come true'

 

Petzold completed internships at the Free Press (2020), The Gazette in Colorado Springs (2019), Los Angeles Dodgers Single-A affiliate Great Lakes Loons in Midland (2018) and, as a senior in high school, The Michigan Insider on 247Sports in Ann Arbor (2017).

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He earned his degree in journalism at Central Michigan University in October 2020, graduating less than 3½ years. He finished his final semester while covering the Tigers during the 2020 season.

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AWARDS

At the Free Press, Petzold was named 2021 Young Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit Chapter. He finished top 10 in projects in the 2021 Associated Press Sports Editors awards in Division A for his part in the coverage of Miguel Cabrera's 500th home run. He also finished top 10 in digital in the 2020 APSE awards for Division A for his part in the coverage of the 10-year anniversary of Armando Galarraga's imperfect game.

 

In 2021, Petzold earned several honors in the 2020 College Better Newspaper Contest in Division 2 of the Michigan Press Association: Best College Writer (first place), Sports Column (first place), News Story (honorable mention) and Sports News/Features (second place, third place, honorable mention).

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Petzold finished in fifth place for the 2020 Associated Collegiate Press' Reporter of the Year award. He earned honorable mention for ACP's In-Depth News Story of the Year, as well. He took first place in College Media Association's Pinnacle Awards for the Sports Investigative Story category.

 

He is a 2019 APSE scholarship winner and 2019-20 Hearst Awards enterprise reporting winner (11th place). He was an SPJ Mark of Excellence finalist in 2019, awarded the 2019 Morris Family CMU scholarship and earned feature story honorable mention in 2018 from the Michigan Press Association.

 

CENTRAL MICHIGAN LIFE

Specializing in sports journalism, Petzold was a writer and photographer on various sports beats at Central Michigan Life from August 2017 through July 2020, including football, basketball and baseball. He was the assistant sports editor in 2018, sports editor in 2019 and managing editor in 2020.

 

While serving as a reporter and editor at CM Life since August 2017, Petzold broke many stories – CMU's hiring of football coach Jim McElwain, the firing of former football coach John Bonamego, Bonamego's wife, Paulette Bonamego, getting banned from Kelly/Shorts Stadium, football player Brian Edwards' arrest that involved a standoff with police officers, and the news of a CMU strength and conditioning coach stealing prescribed Adderall from baseball players. He also led the investigative work on former gymnastics coach Jerry Reighard, who was fired for telling a student-athlete to lie about a concussion, among other things. He continued his investigative work by discovering a Title IX case, which included rape allegations, against Texas Tech quarterback Jett Duffey, who had announced his transfer to CMU. Upon the details from the Title IX case emerging, Duffey was not admitted to the university.

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REFERENCES

Please contact for list of references.

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