GRAVETTE — Stefan Smith, 16, a baseball lover who had to sit out this year’s high school season in Gravette because he transferred into the district, is eagerly looking forward to playing for the Lions baseball team next spring.
And if his past is any indication of future performance for the Lions, he brings a lot of talent and ability to the team.
In a recent Pro Day evaluation with Bill Earnhart, scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Stefan received exceptional scores, with one 6 in batting and the rest 7s.
The highest score is 8 and Earnhart said scores of 8 are seldom given because no one is perfect.
Earnhart encouraged Stefan, telling him he had skills to play at the next level.
Stefan also hit two home runs out of field this year,one of them in Bentonville, where it is 390 feet to the 10-foot fence and requires a crushing hit to put one over.
He also pitches and struck out 11 batters this summer for a win against the little Kansas team.
Stefan is a right-handed pitcher and also plays short stop.
Though the 2012 baseball season is still a good way off, this young player may prove himself a big plus for the Lions next spring.
Sports, Pages 11 on 07/27/2011