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CHARLESTON -- In finishing as the Class AAA runner up with two losses to Cabell Midland in the state tournament at Little Creek Park, it wasn't exactly the fairy tale ending St. Albans sophomore Tayven Stephenson and the Red Dragons had in mind.
But Stephenson possibly showed as much to her coach, teammates and the state in defeat as she did in a dominant debut season that came with plenty of wins and accolades including the Gatorade state player of the year.
Pitching through bloody, painful blisters in the regional round and at the state tournament, Stephenson demonstrated a determined toughness that matched the unhittable pitching arsenal and power bat she flashed during an undefeated regular season for St. Albans.
And though the Red Dragons fell just short of a title, Stephenson added yet another honor to her personal ledger as she was named the State Player of the Year as voted on by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
Stephenson came into the prep ranks with plenty of hype after committing to the University of Kentucky as a 12-year-old and after her freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her long-awaited debut didn't disappoint. Even with two losses at the state tournament, Stephenson accumulated a 20-3 record with a 0.62 ERA with 245 strikeouts in 135 1/3 innings while hitting .403 and bashing 11 home runs with 45 RBIs.
But while the numbers were nice, the lasting image of Stephenson rushing to the bench in pain between innings -- and even in between pitches -- to apply another layer of artificial skin over her bloodied, exposed fingers may be the one that lingers. And it's the one that only further endeared herself to her team and community.
Currently, Stephenson is already back with her travel team, participating in a tournament in Colorado just a week after the state tournament. Though she continues to battle blisters, she is also absorbing as much as she can and hopes the continued grind will have her better prepared for the rugged prep season next year.