J.P. Stevenson starts and closes university career with MAAC titles

J.P. Stevenson’s college baseball career has come full circle. Literally.

The New Glasgow southpaw won a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title his freshman year with the Canisius College Golden Griffins and last weekend punctuated his senior year with another MAAC crown.

This time was an 11-0 win over top seed Monmouth University in the championship game, a game Stevenson closed out with a three up-three down, one-strikeout ninth inning. Stevenson (10-1 as a starter in the regular season) hadn’t closed for several seasons before he got the call from the bullpen.

“It was pretty cool my coaches gave me the opportunity. It was kind of an unfamiliar feeling because I hadn’t been used out of the bullpen in three years. But the adrenaline kicked in and with the big lead I just tried to throw strikes and let the defence work and that’s what went on,” Stevenson said in an interview from Minneapolis, Minn. “I had the opportunity in my freshman year and won it and now I get to go out in the same way. I’ll always remember it.”

By all rights Stevenson had a monster season, leading the MAAC in wins (10), innings (95.2), strikeouts (92) and earned run average (2.54) and claiming the conference pitcher of the year. He was also named to the MAAC tournament all-star team and earned the MVP award.

With Stevenson, the Griffs staff became just the third in MAAC history, and first since Marist in 2015, to be awarded the pitcher and relief pitcher of the year honours (Tyler Smith, 40 strikeouts in 34 innings, 1.06 ERA).

Stevenson and unranked Griffs now move on to the NCAA Division 1 championship Minneapolis regional. Canisius faced host and 14th-ranked Minnesota on Friday and wait for the next opponent, either UCLA or Gonzaga, on Saturday.

It’s the Buffalo, N.Y., school’s third NCAA tournament in the last six years and went into the event on an eight-game winning streak. Smith and Stevenson saw action in the 2015 regional. Canisius is 0-4 all time in the national tourney.

But regardless of what happens Stevenson, who graduated with a physical education degree two weeks ago, is looking ahead to a possible pro career among other options.

“I’m going to try and keep playing baseball no matter where that might be. It’s something you have to wait for it to unfold. I’ll had a little bit of (professional) contact so we’ll see what happens,” he said. “If not, then I’ll probably come back to P.E.I. and try and get a job in the real world.”

On the web at www.gogriffsgo.com.

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