Paul Stevens Day: Video
The Northwestern Department of Athletics and Recreation celebrated the career of head coach Paul Stevens in a pregame ceremony prior to the Wildcats' game against Nebraska on Sunday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park.
The head coach was accompanied on the field by his wife Kenan, their children Trevor, Cody and Kara, and NU Vice President for Athletics and Recreation, Jim Phillips.
Many former players and coaches were in attendance at Sunday's ceremony to pay tribute to Stevens for his dedicated service at Northwestern. One of those former players was John Trautwein. In 2010 Trautwein, and his family suffered the terrible tragedy of losing a teenager to suicide. Trautwein discovered the true meaning of Life Teammates when former teammates and friends from Northwestern baseball, led by Coach Stevens, reached out to him during such a difficult time.
As a result the Trautwein family started the non-profit Will To Live Foundation to raise the awareness of teen suicide all over America. Trautwein credits his teammates at Northwestern and Coach Stevens for being instrumental in inspiring him to create such a wonderful foundation and raise awareness for a worthy cause.
In honor of Stevens, The Will To Live Foundation and Northwestern presented the head coach with the annual "Paul Stevens Life Teammates Award". This award, which will be voted on each year by the players, will be given to one senior who best represents what it is to be a true life teammate on and off the field. The award will be presented at the end of each season and the Will To Live Foundation will make a $1,000 donation in that player's name to Northwestern Baseball.
In addition to the "Paul Stevens Life Teammates Award," the 2015 Wildcats showed their appreciation for everything their skipper has done for their team as well as all of their fellow Wildcats throughout the past thirty years. Team captains Kyle Ruchim, Scott Heelan, Brandon Magallones and Matt Portland, presented Stevens with a decorated home plate signed by the entire roster.
During this very special presentation in recognition of coach Stevens' incredible dedication to Northwestern University, Phillips and the Department of Athletics and Recreation announced that the plaza in the newly renovated Rocky Miller Park will be named "Paul Stevens Plaza." From now on, all visitors to the ballpark will be reminded of the legacy Coach Stevens has left on NU Baseball and his years of service to the university.
Stevens, a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, has amassed more wins than any other skipper in program history. Stevens worked as an assistant coach under both Ron Wellman and Larry Cochell from 1985-1987 before taking over as NU's head coach for the 1988 season.
Since taking over the program, Stevens has seen 65 players drafted by a Major League Baseball club or signed to a professional contract, including his oldest son, Trevor, who joined the professional ranks in 2013. At least one player has been chosen in 16 of the past 17 MLB drafts. Overall, Stevens has coached 93 All-Big Ten selections including current New York Yankees manager and four-time World Series champion Joe Girardi, two-time Major League Baseball All-Star Mark Loretta and recent major leaguers J.A. Happ, George Kontos, Jake Goebbert, Bo Schultz and Eric Jokisch.
Under Stevens' guidance the Wildcats have excelled in the classroom. Since 1985, 196 student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, while eight have been named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. He has mentored five Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients, including Girardi, Loretta, Ron Rojas, Francis Brooke and Luke Farrell. The Medal of Honor is the conference's oldest and most exclusive award, bestowed to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work. Stevens and the Wildcats close out their midweek schedule when they host Kansas for a two-game set, beginning Tuesday, May 5, at 3 p.m. Northwestern will close out its road slate when it heads to Ann Arbor, Mich., this weekend.
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