School: Missouri Southern State University

Major: Kinesiology

Bottom of the ninth, two runners on, game tied 4-4. Every kid who plays baseball dreams of this moment. But it came to life for Tommy Stevenson, then a sophomore May 6, 2017, when KHS varsity baseball faced off against Washington. And he delivered, sending a ball over the fence for his first high school home run to give Kirkwood a 7-4 walk-off win.

Tommy committed to Missouri Southern State University on a baseball scholarship in fall 2018 after receiving offers from several other schools. Missouri Southern has moved in and out of the top 25 Division II teams in the nation, and Tommy said he will enjoy the opportunity to experience a more challenging baseball schedule.

“[I’m looking forward to] some really good competition,” Tommy said. “I’ve always wanted to travel every couple weeks to different colleges and play the sport I love.”

Before he plays catcher in college, Tommy is part of a Kirkwood team with high expectations this season. As a junior, he helped lead the baseball team to the 2018 Suburban XII South conference title while hitting for a .461 batting average.

KHS Varsity Baseball Head Coach Scott Weissman said the coaches have given Tommy a lot of responsibility and freedom when making decisions this season. Weissman cites the number one aspect of Tommy’s game as leadership, saying he leads by example and maintains a team-oriented mindset.

“He’s hustling, talking all the time, trying to stay positive, pushing everybody and trying to make them better,” Weissman said. “He’s a great young man [and] he’s a great representative of the Kirkwood High School baseball program.”

Tommy, whose siblings both went to private high schools, acknowledges KHS isn’t always known for its baseball program. Travis Stevenson, Tommy’s father, said Tommy had the option to go to private school, potentially a powerhouse baseball school, but he chose to attend KHS due to friends and better resources. Travis said the decision to attend KHS has worked out well on and off the baseball field.

“Being an alum myself, I think [KHS] did great things for him,” Travis said. “The teachers are fantastic, he has a great senior class, and the overall spirit of being a Pioneer really made him shine.”