Athlete of the week: Cooper Stephens is a three-position stud for the LaGrange baseball team

Cooper Stephens used to be a stalwart at first base for the LaGrange baseball team. That changed for the senior this season. The Grangers have asked Stephens to line up all across the diamond, and he has multiple starts at catcher, first base and third base so far this season.

“Last season, one of our backup catchers decided he didn’t want to play baseball anymore, so the coaches asked me to go back there and they even told me they didn’t know how much I would be starting back there,” Stephens said. “I wasn’t too sure of it at first, but early in the season, I threw a runner out at first and was like, okay, I can enjoy this too.“When Gryson (Cockrell) tore his ACL in August, they started to play Rob (Skinner) some at third base, but he has such a strong arm and is a natural outfielder that they started to ask me to play third too,” he added.



“So, if Brandon (Bennett) is on the mound, I’m at first and if Mason (Calhoun) is on the mound, I’m at catcher, otherwise, I’m usually at third now.”Stephens’ versatility is key for the Grangers and could be even more valuable at the next level. The hard-hitting infielder will be taking his talents to Gordon State next season, where he hopes to round out his skill set before making the jump to a bigger school.

Stephens will be joined at Gordon State by a pair of Granger teammates — Rob Skinner and Caden Wood.“We all took a visit there last fall together and I’ll be honest, I fell in love with the school right away and committed two weeks later,” Stephens said. “I kept telling the guys to come down there with me and I finally convinced them to.

”Last season saw Stephens play a handful of games at catcher, which helped the senior get acclimated to the position this season. Stephens’ baseball career at LaGrange High nearly reached a premature end. Just last week, the versatile Granger was diagnosed with a cyst on his tailbone.

The initial diagnosis was surgery and a wrap on the season, but a second opinion has given Stephens hope that his time in blue and white is not done yet. “When I first got the news that I might be out for the season, I started crying honestly,” Stephens said. “Then I went to get reevaluated last Friday, and they told me that I could be back as soon as this week.

” With the regular season wrapping on Thursday for LaGrange, that news couldn’t come soon enough for the senior.While Stephens has had setbacks before, breaking a bone in one hand during his sophomore season and then one on the other hand during his junior season, this was entirely new for him. If it was during his junior or sophomore seasons, it would have been one thing, but to see his final run as a Granger potentially washed away by an injury nearly broke him.

Regardless if he hits another setback or if he ever suits up to LaGrange again, Stephens is determined to be the best teammate he can possibly be.“Tonight, I’ll be right there in the dugout, standing on a bucket and cheering these guys on,” Stephens said before the game on Tuesday. “I haven’t missed a practice or a chance to be with these guys so far.

”As one of 14 seniors on the team, Stephens has seen some of his fellow classmates stick with the Granger program even when they did not get a lot of time on the diamond. He has seen how hard they cheer and encourage the team and plans to replicate that as long as he is confined to the dugout. “Guys like Jackson Hester and Qua Beasley might not play a lot, but they mean a lot to the team,” Stephens said.

“They hype us up and make sure we stay up during the game and when they do get in, they just go out there and have fun and make plays.”The Branch in Granger Park has been home for Stephens for the last four years. He came in as a freshman, made an instant impact and helped the Grangers finish as the 4A state runner-up, something he would accomplish in his sophomore season as well.

As he looks back on his time under the lights for LaGrange, it’s hard for him to grapple with the fact that it is almost over.“It really started to sink in when I thought my season might be over,” Stephens said on Tuesday. “It’s hard to believe tonight is the last regular season home game for a lot of us.

Hopefully, we get to play a couple more playoff series here.” The post Athlete of the week: Cooper Stephens is a three-position stud for the LaGrange baseball team appeared first on LaGrange Daily News..