If it weren’t for the opportunities and hard work put in by Destry Stevenson, he wouldn’t be on his way to Dubuque, Iowa, for the next chapter of his baseball career.
Stevenson recently signed with the University of Dubuque (UD) Spartans, where he will have the chance to compete for a starting spot right away in the outfield.
Originally from Rock Springs, Stevenson is the first college athlete in his family and along with his sister, the first generation of college students.
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​From the time Stevenson was in a diaper, there’s evidence in a family photo that he and the sport of baseball were meant to be. He’s loved the sport that he’s grown up with and humbled to have the chance to live his dream playing at the next level.
Stevenson first suspected he might have a shot at playing college baseball during his freshmen year with the Archie Hay Post 24 Sand Puppies baseball team, which was recently renamed Stallions. Playing at the AA level at such a young age proved how talented he was and where his game stacked up against 18-year-olds.
The center fielder played his sophomore year with the Stallions, helping them reach the state tournament that season. As the last seed in the bracket, many doubted their chances against the top-seeded Gillette. The game surprisingly went into extra innings, and an unlucky walk-off hit gave Gillette the win, but a cherished memory for Stevenson and his team who played a tough game nobody thought they could.
For his junior and senior seasons, Stevenson had an opportunity to play with a club team in Denver, Colorado.
“It was one of those opportunities you couldn’t pass up to get more exposure,” Stevenson said.
Knowing that he wanted to play college baseball, Stevenson sent out his tape to as many schools as he could. COVID-19 posed a unique challenge with the many rules that limited contact with coaches and as a result, recruiting became even more difficult.
Several schools did reach out however, with the UD being one of them. Stevenson flew out to Iowa to meet with the coaches. Their personal interest in him coupled with their impressive facilities and repeated success as a program was enough for him to commit his future to the Spartans.
They didn’t just want me there to win ball games, but wanted to make me a better person off the field too.
Stevenson will play in the outfield for UD, an underrated position that he finds a lot of joy in.
“People say it’s boring out there, but I’ve always been known for my speed and robbing people of base hits. It’s cool covering a lot of ground out there and I like it,” Stevenson said.
Although Stevenson said his journey has been full of ups and downs, he is simply excited to join the Spartans and make the most of his opportunity. He added that baseball has taught him many important lessons, including the importance of shaking mistakes off and not letting them define your life.
“You can’t let one play, one thing in life define who you are,” Stevenson said. “It didn’t really hit me until this last year when I went down to Denver.”
Stevenson plans to study sports marketing and management while at UD.
