FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Jeff Stevens has been named the volunteer baseball coach at East Carolina University according to an announcement from head coach Billy Godwin Monday.
Prior to his appointment at ECU, Stevens spent part of the 2008 season as the bench coach for the Danville Braves, where he maintained opponent scouting reports, assisted with instruction of the catchers and daily practice routines and coordinated team travel arrangements to and from the field.
"We are excited to have Jeff Stevens join our staff," said Godwin. "He understands my coaching philosophy after playing for me at Louisburg and brings a great deal of collegiate and professional experience to East Carolina."
From 2006-2009, he spent four years in minor league baseball after signing a free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves in 2006. Stevens played in 65 career games where he batted .272 (47-for-173) with three home runs, 24 RBI, 12 doubles and scored 21 runs. During his four-year stint in the minors, he played for the Danville Braves, Rome Braves and Myrtle Beach Pelicans, while also playing independently for the River City Rascals, Wichita Wingnuts, Traverse City Beach Bums, Brockton Rox and the Fargo-Morehead Red Hawks.
Stevens played two seasons (2005-06) at the University of Pittsburgh under head coach Joe Jordano where he helped the Panthers make an appearance in the 2005 Big East Conference Championship Game after hitting six home runs, 31 RBI and 11 doubles as a junior. Behind the dish, he threw out 45 percent of would be base stealers and boasted a .979 fielding percentage. In the night-cap against Villanova on Apr. 16, 2005, Stevens belted two home runs and drove in three in a 9-8 loss in 10 innings.
In his two years with the Panthers, he started 86 games behind the plate smacking seven homers, 41 RBI, 16 doubles and 51 runs scored. Stevens collected 14 multi-hit games, 12 multi-RBI contests and hit safely in a career-best nine games from April 9-20 in 2005.
Stevens’ played one season at Louisburg College under Godwin’s direction where he batted .270 with nine home runs and 36 RBI as a sophomore. During his prep career at Dan River High School, Stevens started all four years, led his team to the 2002 Regional Championship and garnered first-team all-district, all-regional, all-metro and all-state honors as a senior.
A native of Danville, Va., Stevens earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from The University of Pittsburgh (2006) and an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Louisburg College (2004).
