'A leader for everybody': Sophomore catcher Luke Stevenson emerges as a team leader

Luke Stevenson didn't resemble the typical baseball player when he transferred to Wake Forest High School from New Jersey. 

According to Wake Forest High's head coach Carlos Varela, Stevenson was not the tallest or the strongest. He wasn’t exactly in shape, either.  

But there was something about the then-ninth-grade catcher that caught Varela’s eye. 

“He had a great swing, but one of the things that got my attention was his work ethic, his drive to be better than everybody else in the field,” Varela said. “It wasn’t like he was arrogant about it, but it was something about him that it was like dealing with a pro guy at that age.”

As Stevenson enters his second year with the Diamond Heels, he has become even more of a professional, especially in the way he leads others. 

Stevenson was named a 2025 preseason All-American by D1Baseball and Perfect Game after contributing to UNC baseball’s journey to the College World Series last year. In his sophomore campaign, Stevenson is looking to build on his early success and take on a leadership role at North Carolina. 

When Stevenson began his athletic career at UNC, Valera felt like he lost his star player, but also a partner and additional coach. Valera still uses Stevenson as a role model for his players today.

“We use [Luke] as an example of what a leader should do,” Valera said. “What a baseball player is all about.”

Stevenson, who is ranked as the No. 3 catcher in the nation by D1Baseball, led by example on the field last season. The 6-foot-1 sophomore led the team with 48 walks and ranked fifth on the team in OPS. He also recorded 14 home runs, 58 RBIs and a .284 batting average. For these on-field accomplishments, Stevenson earned Third Team All-ACC, All-ACC Freshman Team and Second Team Freshman All-America honors. 

Though he’s one of the best players out on the diamond, Stevenson saw the game from a different point-of-view after sitting out in the fall for undisclosed reasons. He learned the strengths of his pitchers and the rationale behind pitching coach Bryant Gaines’ calls. Stevenson also called pitches in a few innings himself. 

“The fall was a little bit of a blessing and a curse,” Stevenson said. “I was not able to play, but I was able to see the game through a different lens, try to be there for all the new incomers and talk about the standard and how we do things around here.”

One newcomer Stevenson has welcomed is junior outfielder Kane Kepley, who transferred from Liberty University. Kepley admitted he was nervous and shy when he first came to North Carolina, however, Stevenson was quick to warm up to Kepley and make the transition more comfortable. 

“It’s stuff like that goes unnoticed, that welcomes me in and makes me feel more at home,” Kepley said. “And Luke did that a lot.”

In Stevenson's first season, center fielder Vance Honeycutt and second baseman Jackson Van De Brake took him under their wings and showed him the ropes of the program. Now, Stevenson wants to be that role model for his team.

His "professional" approach is still recognized, Van De Brake often calling Stevenson so. 

“He’s a leader for everybody,” Van De Brake said. “I’m three years older than him and I look up to him with certain things, which tells you who he is.”

Although he may not look like the guy he was five years ago — he's taller, stronger and more in shape — the habits that got him to Boshamer Stadium have remained the same. Stevenson is the first person on the field and the last person off it, just like when his parents would turn on the car headlights so he could hit before sunrise ahead of 8 a.m. travel games. 

“The baseball player Luke Stevenson, you can’t replace him," Van De Brake said. "He’s the best catcher in college baseball. But the leadership, personality-wise, he’s everything you would want in a catcher.”

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