October 4, 2007
Two Locals at Irvine?
By Cary Osborne
Signal Sports Editor
College of the Canyons head baseball coach Chris Cota would quietly, but often, say during the 2007 season that infielder/outfielder Casey Stevenson was bound for something bigger.
Somewhat surprising because Stevenson, a 2006 Saugus High graduate, had Cougar teammates who were making more noise than him in high school a year earlier.
Cota proved prophetic, though, as Stevenson signed a baseball scholarship with national power UC Irvine in July.
The college sophomore said he blossomed in his one season at College of the Canyons because it was the first time in years that he was able to concentrate solely on baseball.
Stevenson also played football at Saugus High.
"It was kind of the whole culmination of maturing into the baseball player I knew I could be," he said.
Stevenson hit .396 with five home runs and 48 RBIs in 2007 a year after hitting .387 with no home runs and 19 RBIs for Saugus.
He didn't have a home run in his entire high school career.
Stevenson, who had no scholarship offers coming out of high school, selected Irvine, College World Series quarterfinalists in 2007, over Cal State Fullerton, which offered a similar package.
"It came down to a gut feeling," he said. "I felt Irvine was going to be a better fit for me."
Stevenson's Anteater team is currently coachless.
Former head coach Dave Serrano left for Cal State Fullerton after the Titans' former head coach, George Horton, took the head job at Oregon.
Multiple media reports have former College of the Canyons and USC head coach and Saugus resident Mike Gillespie taking the job at Irvine.
Calls to Gillespie have not been returned and the UC Irvine athletics department has not confirmed the hire.
Nonetheless, Stevenson said the team is starting fall practice today.
Stevenson, whose father played baseball under Rod Dedeaux at USC and in the Houston Astros organization, mostly played third base and second base at Saugus and COC, but has also played in the outfield.