'Once a decade' catcher Luke Stevenson brings unique hitting talent to UNC baseball

Recruiting Luke Stevenson out of Wake Forest High School, assistant coaches Jesse Wierzbicki and Bryant Gaines knew how special he could be.

“We have to have this guy,” they said to head coach Scott Forbes.

Forbes listened, and the first-year catcher has quickly become one of UNC’s most prolific hitters. Ranking fifth on the team in batting average and RBIs, Stevenson is one of six players to have started every game for UNC so far this season.

Stevenson broke out in a big way this week — totaling 12 RBIs through five games, including three in UNC’s series-clinching game against Princeton on Saturday. In just his third week of collegiate baseball, the former No. 9 overall prospect in North Carolina according to Perfect Game showcased the speed, power and arm talent that the coaching staff knew they were getting when he came to Chapel Hill.

On Tuesday against VCU, Stevenson smashed a 402-foot blast off the top of the wall in center field. Rounding second, he picked up Forbes and slid into third safely with an RBI triple. His first career triple was part of a 3-3 night against the Rams.

Did he think the ball was gone off the bat?

“I did,” Stevenson said. “But I got to show off the speed instead.”

He would have to wait four days later for that first career home run. Sitting on a slider on an 0-1 count, Stevenson sent a no-doubt 422-foot bomb into right center field for a two-run shot. He said it felt good rounding the bases but joked he never got the ball back from over the wall.

This break-out from Stevenson has been a product of hard work and talent. Prior to the week, he said he worked with Wierzbicki and undergraduate assistant coach Brandon Riley in the batting cages to make sure his swing was in the right place, which grew his confidence at the plate.

Combine that with talent that could have made him a high-school draft pick, and, in the words of Forbes, UNC has itself “a dude.”

And Forbes is grateful to have him. Coming out of high school, Forbes believed he was fighting with the MLB. After extending an offer to Stevenson, the UNC coaching staff was worried that he was too good too soon and that he would turn to the majors rather than college ball.

“We were like, ‘Oh man, he’s swinging the bat too early,’” Forbes said. 

Forbes credited Stevenson and his family for staying committed to UNC and remaining firm on a potential signing bonus with an MLB club. 

For Stevenson, though, the choice was easy.

“It wasn't really much of a decision,” Stevenson said. “I'm a Tar Heel, and I'm blessed to be here.”

While Forbes described Stevenson as “a dude” on the field, graduate right fielder Anthony Donofrio said he’s a gentleman off of it. Not only is Stevenson one of the best catchers he has ever seen play baseball, but Donofrio also said Stevenson is the kind of guy who will give you his shirt off his back.

“You get a player like Luke Stevenson once a decade,” Donofrio said.

Transitioning into the role previously held by Tomas Frick, who led the team in batting average last season and was selected in the 15th round of the MLB draft, was not an easy task. But while the college game is faster and cleaner than high school, Stevenson said he feels like he’s adapting to it and starting to feel more comfortable at the plate.

The UNC coaching staff had to have him. Through the first three weeks of the young season, Stevenson is showing why.

“[He’s a] first round pick,” Forbes said. “I hate to put that on him, but I think he's going to be.”

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