Seven innings and five strikeouts later, David Steward had helped the Clarkston Varsity Baseball team win the MHSAA Division 1 Quarterfinals against Brighton, 4-1, on June 10.
‘When David competes on the mound he is awfully tough to beat,? said Phil Price, head coach. ‘He is a power hitter. He is an outstanding baseball player.?
He also plays third base and has played on third since he started playing baseball when he was a child.
‘One game we needed someone to pitch so I went in to pitch,? Steward said. ‘I ended up liking it. I feel like it is me against the batter. I like that.?
He explained his parents got him started in baseball when he was around five-years-old and he has enjoyed it since then.
‘I just love it,? he said. ‘I like the teams. I like the people you meet. I just love the sport in general.?
Before the boys headed into the post-season to become district and regional champions, Steward said the season was going pretty good.
‘We didn’t have too good of a beginning but we are bringing it together,? he said on May 22. ‘We will be good.?
And they were – they beat Waterford Kettering and Oxford to win the district title before beating two more teams for the region crown. For the regional games they beat Bloomfield Hills and Lakeland.
In the 4-1 win over Bloomfield Hills, Steward hit a double.
During the 10-1 win over Lakeland he pitched 6.67 innings and had nine strikeouts and only two hits. At the bat, he hit 1-for-3.
Steward graduated from Clarkston High School on June 2. His next venture is at Adrian College where he plans to continue playing baseball and will study exercise science.
He added he learned a lot from Clarkston Baseball which he can take to college and into life like how to be a team player.
‘It’s not all about one person,? he said. ‘It’s about everyone.?