Stevens and Sons

For many parents, a child’s college years represent a bittersweet separation. Not so for Wildcats baseball coach Paul Stevens and his sons, Trevor and Cody, who play on the team.

Trevor Stevens in 1992.

The Stevenses, who hail from nearby Glenview, Ill., are one of only two parent-child Wildcat athletic tandems. Sophomore Meghan McKeown plays for her father, coach Joe McKeown, on the women’s basketball team (see "Father Figure," spring 2011).

“I think it’s awesome for them to have the opportunity to be at such a prestigious university,” said Paul Stevens. “To get this type of an education is phenomenal. And to represent the University on the baseball team is something special and pretty rewarding for them.”

A four-year starter who has alternated between shortstop and centerfield, Trevor is a two-time All-Big Ten honoree who led the Wildcats with 40 runs, 26 walks, 10 stolen bases and four triples in 2011. Meanwhile, Cody, an infielder and outfielder, tallied 13 starts in his freshman campaign.

Stevens said that even though Trevor and Cody may hold a special place in his heart, that won’t help them garner more playing time.

“I have the same approach to every single young man, with every player on and off the field,” Paul said. “I like seeing them develop an attitude that they’re accountable and only entitled to what they’ve worked their backsides off for.”

Still, Stevens’ policy of equal treatment doesn’t apply when it comes to stories of his sons’ youth. “About 16 years ago, Trevor was featured on the cover of Northwestern Perspective as a bat boy,” Paul said. “It’s a cute picture, and seeing it again would embarrass the hell out of him.”