The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

As much of the country focuses its the attention of the the latest trio with an opportunity at the major league’s, the sole Bahamian draftee of 2013 continues to make strides in the minor league farm system.

Jervis “Champ” Stuart was promoted to Single-A baseball last month, and has been productive in his 17 games with the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Class A South Atlantic League.

Stuart has hit .291 with four RBI, seven runs scored, one home run and four stolen bases with a slugging percentage of .345 and on base percentage of .371.

The Sand Sand Gnats are a minor league subsidiary of the New York Mets.

A 6’0” 175 pound outfielder, played his rookie season with the Tennessee-based Kingston  Kingston Mets before he recicved the call to Class-A.

In 43 games he hit .240, with 14 RBI, 26 runs scored, one home run and 11 stolen bases with a slugging percentage of .353 and on base percentage of .388.

Stuart, 21, began his path to professional baseball in earnest after his selection in the 2013 MLB Draft when he was selected by the Mets in the sixth round with the 176th pick.

 Prior to the draft, Baseball America rated him 199th on its list of top 500 prospects.

It was a historic election, not just for Stuart, but for his Brevard College Tornados baseball programme as he became  the first Division II player selected in the 2013 draft, and instantly became the highest-drafted player in school history.

A Bimini native, in his three-year collegiate career, Stuart was a two-time All-South Athletic Conference selection.

In 41 games, he hit .300 to lead the team and lead the SAC with 39 stolen bases. 

He was an All-SAC selection in 2012 as well and also led the Tornados in runs scored (47), home runs (5), on-base percentage (.444), slugging percentage (.479) and total bases (67). He has been named a preseason All-SAC First Team Outfielder.

He was named the 2012 Bahamas Baseball Federation College Player of Year and the 2012 BBF MVP in the Senior Challenge – Freeport vs New Providence.

A second generation professional player, “Champ” is the son of Jervis Sr. and Cicely Stuart.

The elder stuart had a budding minor league baseball career of his own in the mid 1980s.

He joined the Baltimore Orioles farm system in 1984 and advanced to Class A ball in 1985.