Who Owns EvoShield?

EvoShield was founded in 2006 in Sparks, Nevada, by Mike Golembiewski and Jim Scherr, two entrepreneurs who identified a significant gap in the protective gear market for baseball and softball athletes. At the time, conventional protective equipment relied on rigid pre-formed plastics or foam padding that offered limited customization and frequently compromised comfort for protection. Golembiewski and Scherr developed a fundamentally different approach: a patented material technology they called "Gel-to-Shell," in which a flexible gel-filled shield is molded to the athlete's body and then hardens into a custom-fitted protective shell upon exposure to air. The resulting product offered a combination of personalized fit, lightweight construction, and impact resistance that existing products could not match.

The company's initial product line focused on baseball-specific protective gear, including wrist guards, elbow guards, and chest protectors. These items addressed real injury risks in the sport, particularly for batters who faced increasing pitch velocities at all levels of competition. EvoShield's wrist guard gained rapid adoption among amateur and professional players who had previously relied on bulky foam guards or played without protection. The brand's ability to demonstrate measurable performance advantages over incumbent products accelerated its penetration into team sports retail channels and direct sales to athletic programs.

By the early 2010s, EvoShield had established itself as the leading protective gear brand in baseball and softball, earning the designation of Official Protective Gear of Major League Baseball. This partnership provided significant visibility across the 30 MLB clubs and their affiliated minor league systems, exposing EvoShield products to millions of players and fans annually. The MLB relationship also validated the brand's technology claims in the most competitive professional environment, supporting premium pricing relative to generic alternatives. EvoShield expanded its product range to include batting helmets, sliding shorts, and protective apparel, broadening its addressable market within the baseball and softball equipment category.

The brand also extended into football and lacrosse protective gear during this period, applying the Gel-to-Shell technology to positions and applications where custom-fitted protection offered advantages over standard equipment. While baseball and softball remained the core revenue drivers, these adjacencies demonstrated the technology's versatility and opened new distribution channels through football and lacrosse specialty retailers.

On October 27, 2016, Wilson Sporting Goods announced the acquisition of EvoShield in a selective asset purchase. Wilson's rationale was straightforward: EvoShield filled a critical gap in Wilson's baseball and softball portfolio, which already included Louisville Slugger bats (acquired 2015), DeMarini bats, and ATEC training equipment, but lacked a dedicated protective gear brand. The acquisition gave Wilson comprehensive coverage of the baseball and softball equipment market, enabling bundled sales to teams, programs, and retailers that preferred single-vendor relationships. EvoShield's existing MLB partnership also complemented Wilson's own professional league relationships.

Following the acquisition, EvoShield continued to operate from Sparks, Nevada, with its brand identity and product development focus preserved. Wilson invested in expanding EvoShield's product line and deepening its college and high school program partnerships. By 2023, EvoShield had formalized multi-year exclusive equipment agreements with major college baseball programs, including the University of Virginia, providing full uniform, apparel, and protective gear packages under the Wilson family of brands. These institutional partnerships have become a significant growth channel, as college programs serve as influential endorsers for the youth and amateur market segments that represent EvoShield's largest consumer base.