Alex Stephens RHP / 1B / Allendale, MI / 2019

ALLENDALE - The idea hit Alex Stephens around middle-school age.

“I started thinking after these next few years about not playing baseball,” Stephens reflected. “It was then I thought about going to college so I could get an extra four more years of playing ball. Like everyone, I want to play pro ball, but right now I just want to keep playing for as long as I can.”

The 6-6 240-pounder has taken advantage of his size by hitting 90 on the radar gun. But the Allendale High School senior right-hander admits to not getting out early enough in the recruiting process.

“When I hit 90 that helped initially,” Stephens said about interest at the next level. “That was when Division I colleges were calling about watching me.”

But the interest was more of a ‘wait and see’ type thinking.

“I went to some things for exposure, but I probably could have gone to a few more,” Stephens explained. “I didn’t reach out to coaches as much as I could, plus at one or two of the showcases I went to I didn’t really perform, so maybe I’m getting overlooked now because of that.”