Matthew Stevenson stands in the middle of the pregame huddle with a big smile on his face. He’s soaking in the moment with thousands of fans watching. All eyes are on Matt as he stands in the middle with catcher Chris Chinea. The duo gets the team pumped up before taking the field.
Matt will never have the opportunity to play for LSU like his older brother, Andrew Stevenson, the Tiger’s junior centerfielder. Matt was born with Down Syndrome, and the Stevenson brothers have used this to learn from each other over the past 16 years.
For almost all of LSU’s non-conference games Tiger fans can see Matt out on the field before the game and in the home dugout. The team has adopted Matt as one of their own.
“It’s awesome to have him out here,” Andrew said. “It really teaches you to not take anything for granted and to appreciate the abilities you have. I know he would love to be out in the field playing the game he loves. Every day I try and go out on the field and thank God for what I have.
“My teammates have taken to him well over the past year,” Stevenson added. “Everyone loves Matt and talks to him when he’s here. He’s just part of our team now. I think it’s pretty awesome that they’ve welcomed him with open arms.”
Chinea took the lead last season in welcoming Matt as just one of the guys. Chinea leads the huddle before the teams takes to the field for every game. Chinea invited Matt to help him get the team ready, and he has been a part of the tradition ever since.
“I asked him if he wanted to join me in the huddle and his face just lit up,” Chinea said. “He loves doing it so much and I know it means a lot to him. Every time I see him he asks if I’m ready to get the team pumped up for the game.”
Andrew continues to learn from Matt each and every day. The biggest lesson he has taken from his little brother is to have fun and enjoy his time playing the game they both love.
As a freshman, Stevenson struggled to adapt to the collegiate game at the plate. Although he batted just .193, the Youngsville, Louisiana, native made his presence known with his incredible defense.
To end the 2013 season, Stevenson flashed his potential with his offense and defense during postseason play. He was 2-for-2 in Game 2 of the Super Regional against Oklahoma and he helped lead LSU to Omaha for the 16th time. Stevenson also made an incredible play in left-centerfield in the championship game of the SEC Tournament against Vanderbilt to save three runs in the fifth inning.
After his up-and-down year, Stevenson returned to Baton Rouge for his sophomore campaign with a new outlook. It was time to relax and not take anything too seriously.
Stevenson returned to the lineup, ranging from the leadoff man to batting in the bottom half of the lineup, and led the team with a .335 average. Stevenson was second on the team in RBI and hits, and he even went on a 17-game hitting streak during the 2014 season.
“During my freshman year I was wowed by the stadium and crowd,” Stevenson said. “After that transition I was able to settle in and have fun with it. I just wasn’t having fun and pressed too hard. I was too worried about getting a hit here or there and not enjoying it. It’s all about having fun and just playing baseball.”
Stevenson continues to make incredible plays in centerfield and bring a strong bat to the plate. He’s batted in the fifth or sixth spot in the lineup so far this season and is hitting .333 with seven RBI and three triples Stevenson is also a perfect 4-4 on stolen bases this year and started off the season by hitting safely in all nine games he played in.
“I just come out here and play hard. I can’t take any at bat for granted,” Stevenson said. “It’s all about having fun and enjoying my time here. My time here has gone by fast so I have to cherish the moments.”