Stephen attended Clay High School in Oregon, Ohio where he was a standout athlete in baseball, basketball and football. He earned All Ohio honors in baseball his senior year and was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. Instead of signing a professional contact, Stephen decided to accept a baseball scholarship to Ohio University, where he played for the Bobcats baseball team while majoring in Management Information Systems. He also represented the state of Ohio in the 1994 United States Olympic Festival held in St. Louis, Missouri where he played on a roster of future MLB players. Stephen was inducted into the Clay High School Athletic Hall of Fame for his athletic achievements.
While attending a Cleveland Indians game at Progressive Field on May 31, 1994, Stephen participated in the official Indians Speed Pitch contest and recorded a pitch of 92 miles per hour. Stephen’s record stood through the remainder of the season, which earned him the opportunity to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at an Indians game during the 1994 season. However, due to the Major League Baseball Strike that went into effect on August 12, 1994, the remainder of the Cleveland Indians season was cancelled and Stephen was never able to claim his prize. After finding his certificate 24 years later, the Indians honored his prize and he threw out ceremonial first pitch for Cleveland Indians vs Milwaukee Brewers on June 6, 2018.
