Algonac's Luke Stephenson picks Xavier baseball
One of the area’s best baseball players has his college future already mapped out.
However, he hasn’t even started his junior season for Algonac just yet.
Star Muskrat catcher Luke Stephenson committed to Xavier this week, taking a lot of college decision stress off himself before his 2018 graduation year rolls around.
“I really enjoyed my process for sure, I was being looked at by a lot of schools,” Stephenson said. “I’m glad that everything worked out the way it did.”
Stephenson’s college search began last spring on a visit to the University of Michigan, but that search quickly made its way out of state. In the end, the decision was between Xavier, College of Charleston and Duke, which started to show recent interest.
It was the closeness of the team and their preparation to build a winning tradition that had Stephenson becoming a Musketeer.
“Just seeing their program and how all their cards are aligned to be a great school (impressed me),” he said. “They already won a few championships and just talking to the coaches had me realizing how family oriented they are.”
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Xavier has won two of the last three Big East tournaments, also earning a bid in last year’s NCAA tournament. When Stephenson gets to campus in two years, the Musketeers will be inheriting an athletic catcher who gets the most out of his pitchers while possessing a big bat at the plate.
The coaching of assistant Billy O’Conner – a former collegiate catcher – was also appealing to Stephenson when he made his decision official in person to the coaching staff.
“They’re all really personable, and their catching coach really relates to my style,” Stephenson said. “He’s a catch-and- throw guy and works really quick.”
Over the years spanning back to youth baseball, Stephenson credits his dad, Mike, for getting him to where he is today. The support he’s also gotten from his mom, Heidi, and grandparents Mike Sr. and Bill Skula has also been invaluable, along with all the coaching he’s received over the years.
“I really, really appreciate everything my dad has done to get me to this position,” Stephenson said. “And my coaches in baseball and any other sport I’ve been in, they molded me to who I am.”