SSAC News
Fri, May 12, 2006 - [Baseball]
Former Berry College pitching ace Chuck Smith, now pitching in the New York Mets organization, was recently promoted from Class A St. Lucie to AAA Norfolk for a short stint to fill a void on the Tides' staff, and is now at AA Binghamton. He is one of five former Berry players currently playing professional baseball, joining fellow Mets farmhand Travis Hope and independent leaguers Josh Beshears, Palmer Karr and Tyler Driskell.Smith, who pitched at Berry from 2003-04, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Mets immediately following a senior season at Berry in which he set a school record with 103 strikeouts and tied team marks with 11 wins, six complete games and two shutouts.
He has risen rapidly through the Mets' chain, going from the lower level rookie team in the Gulf Coast League to the higher rookie team in Hagerstown and eventually to the short season Brooklyn Cyclones in 2004, then jumping from the South Atlantic League's Hagerstown Suns to the high A St. Lucie Mets last year.
Smith started this season at St. Lucie before he was called up for a one-game stint with Norfolk in Toledo, Ohio against Detroit's International League affiliate Toledo Mud Hens Thursday night. He joined the Mets' AA Eastern League affiliate in Binghamton, N.Y., Friday.
According to Berry coach David Beasley, Smith is the first former Viking to reach Class AAA since Beasley has been the team's coach.
Smith is just one of four players from Berry's 2004 team to be on a professional roster. Hope, Karr and Driskell were also on that squad. In addition, Smith, Hope and Beshears all played for Beasley in 2003.
Hope and Smith were teammates in St. Lucie until Smith was promoted earlier this week. Hope has appeared in three games with the FSL team this year after joining the team just a few weeks ago following a rehabilitation assignment in extended spring training. The right hander is 1-0 and has not allowed an earned run in 8.1 innings this year. He's struck out five batters and walked just one. Last year, he pitched in the Gulf Coast League and for Brooklyn.
Beshears, the third pitcher of the group to be playing professionally, was traded from the Kalamazoo Kings of the independent Frontier League to the Winnepeg Goldeyes of the Northern League, widely considered to be the top independent league in professional baseball, prior to the star of the 2006 season. Beshears, a two-time Frontier League all-star, and the Goldeyes open their season May 19 against the Joliet Jackhammers.
Karr returns for his second season with the Pensacola Pelicans of the American Association (formerly Central Baseball League), which opened its season Thursday. The outfielder hit .269 with four home runs after he was signed late last season following the conclusion of his collegiate career. Currently, Karr is the featured player on the front page of the Pelicans' website (www.pensacolapelicans.com).
Driskell signed with the Chillicothe (Ohio) Paints of the Frontier League this offseason. The shortstop will make his professional debut May 24 against the Washington Wild Things. Driskell hit .345 with five homers and 35 RBI as a senior.
Smith, Driskell, and Karr all earned honorable mention All-American honors in a Berry uniform.
In all, 16 former Berry players have gone on to play professionally since the Vikings' baseball program was resurrected in 1988.
