Dewayne Friend
Class of 2020
Dewayne Friend’s baseball journey reads like a scrapbook of iconic names and moments. From facing legends like Kirby Puckett, Will Clark, and Dave Magadan, to sharing a dugout with Auburn’s Bo Jackson, Friend’s career was marked by remarkable highlights. Yet, despite playing alongside a future sports megastar, it was Friend who earned Auburn’s MVP honors during the 1983 baseball season.
In his junior year, after transferring from Columbia State, Friend led Auburn in nearly every offensive category, batting .290 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs. The following year, he improved to a .293 average with another 11 home runs and 43 RBIs as the Tigers’ catcher. Bo Jackson, meanwhile, was still refining his baseball skills. “When he made contact, it was unreal,” Friend recalls of Jackson’s raw talent.
Friend’s path to Auburn began years earlier in Huntsville, Alabama. Growing up in the Lakewood and Mastin Lake areas, he honed his skills with childhood teammate Ricky Moore. Together, they helped lead the Northwest Huntsville All-Star team to a runner-up finish in the 1977 Babe Ruth World Series. Dubbed the “North Alabama Giants,” the team’s dominance earned them local acclaim and a city council honor—“a pretty big deal for a 15-year-old,” Friend remembers.
At Lee High School, Friend’s athletic versatility was evident as he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. But it was on the diamond that he truly shined. Initially an infielder, a youth coach’s decision to try him as a catcher proved pivotal, showcasing Friend’s knack for controlling the game. Despite suffering a knee injury in basketball, he earned a spot at Columbia State, where his time in the outfield helped prepare him for Auburn’s competitive environment.
After two standout seasons at Auburn, Friend chose to step away from baseball, declining a free-agent offer from the Angels. “I was tired, and I knew my chances of making it to the majors weren’t great,” he says. Instead, he focused on his education, earning his degree—a goal instilled by his parents, Coy and Ruby Friend.
Today, Friend works as a project control manager at Tyonek and cherishes time with his family. Although he once excelled in fastpitch and slowpitch softball, his priorities shifted as life progressed. Reflecting on his career, Friend emphasizes the importance of education. “Baseball was a blessing,” he says, “but the ultimate goal was always the degree.”
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