In the Dugout with Jedidiah Stephen – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 22, 2006
Ohio State senior shortstop Jedidiah Stephen has experienced numerous highs sprinkled with a few lows during his career with the Buckeyes. One of his greatest memories was hitting a home run in the 2003 NCAA Super Regional held in Columbus. After missing the NCAA tournament in 2004, the team was back in the tournament in 2005. He has this year’s team in the hunt for a Big Ten championship and regional berth. Stephen acknowledges the fact that experiencing the ups and downs helps to build character, an attribute his teammates see in him because they voted him a team co-captain at the start of the season. Stephen tries to exemplify New York Yankees’ shortstop and team captain Derek Jeter and thinks Jeter is the epitome of class. He respects the way he carries himself on and off the diamond. Stephen thinks it is important to give his best effort every day and his teammates have come to expect that from him no matter what the situation.
What Major League Baseball team did you follow when you were younger?
“I’ve always been a Yankee fan. I’ve always liked the way Derek Jeter plays the game. I try to model myself after him on and off the field.”
What Major League player do you think your game most resembles?
“I’m not going to say my game models Jeter’s, but I love the way he plays the game. I really think he’s a class guy, and he is always there to play the game no matter what. He’s always into every game, every pitch and every aspect of the game all season long. And what is great about him is come playoff time. He is as clutch as they come. He seems to play whenever the team needs him, and that is all anyone can ask.”
What do you like to do in your spare time?
“I’m a big deer hunter. I’ve killed a couple 10-points. I really enjoy being in the outdoors. It’s my time away from everything. Some people like to read and do other stuff, but hunting is my getaway. When I’m out there, I’m in a different world. I really enjoy it. We have a couple guys on the team who hunt with me. I’ve gotten them hooked on it.”
Where do you usually go to hunt?
“I go back home. I’ve got thousands of acres back home. Actually I just bagged a deer and I could see my house. There are a lot of places to go when you live in the country.”
What has been your best baseball memory here at Ohio State?
“Hitting a home run in the super regional and just the atmosphere in the super regional was great. Drew Anderson and I hit back to back homers and we had this place up before batting practice. People were here two hours before our game and we have always had great fan support when we’ve played. I was a freshman then and it felt like the greatest thing ever. That’s what we are working for this year, and I think we have the team to do it too.”
What will you most remember from your baseball experience at Ohio State?
“Every single one of the guys I’ve played with. I’ve made life-long friends here, especially the guys this year. I’m really going to cherish what we’ve had with this team. I really consider this a team, I don’t consider anyone on it an individual. Everyone loves to play the game. Everybody gives 100 percent all the time and no one is above anyone else. That is really important to me because that’s the way I am.”
What are some of your responsibilities being a co-captain?
“I’ve always tried to be a good leader, but it is just a title. Your teammates give it you so it’s a great honor. If they have a problem they will come to you and talk to you first, then relay it to the coaches if it’s important. Just having your teammates pick you is a great honor.”
Looking back on your baseball career at Ohio State is there anything you would do differently if you had the chance?
“I don’t think I would change anything. This has been a life long dream of mine and it’s been everything I could have imagined. Sure we’ve had a couple years where we haven’t done as well as we wanted to as a team, but you can’t expect to play four years and have the best of everything. We started my freshman year on top then came back the next year and had a terrible season. In order to get where you want to be you need to learn all aspects of the game. You need to be at the high, where we were, and at the lows and I’ve been at everything here.”
What are your plans after graduation?
“Right now I’m planning to play pro ball, Lord willing. I’m going to finish out the year here. I’m only a quarter or two away from graduation so I may finish and then end up going to grad school.”
