Bell signs to play at Paine College

Bradwell Institute baseball player Christopher Bell, second from left, signed a letter of intent Monday to play at Paine College in Augusta. He was joined in the signing ceremony by, from left, his father, Chris; mother, Sherry; and brother, Blake.

ChrisBellScholarship — Bradwell Institute baseball player Christopher Bell, second from left, signed a letter of intent Monday to play at Paine College in Augusta. He was joined in the signing ceremony by, from left, his father, Chris; mother, Sherry; and brother, Blake.

Bradwell Institute baseball player Christopher Bell signed a letter of intent Monday to play at Paine College in Augusta.

“I liked the school. I liked the team. I liked the coach. I liked Augusta,” he said. “It’s a nice place to play.

Bell had the opportunity to watch the team play and said the coach is considering him for third base and short stop.

“They are really good,” Bell said about the Lions. “I’ve played third base my whole life and short (stop) every once in a while.”

Bell had 21 hits, six RBIs, scored 14 runs and had four doubles in 18 games played this year. His on-base percentage was .381 and sluggers’ percentage was .423.

He also had four stolen bases, 45 total catches, 20 put outs, 20 assists and finished the season with a .889 fielding percentage. On the mound, Bell had 23 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings.

He said he plans to play with the Chain baseball travel team to stay in shape.

“It’s much like playing collegiate ball,” he said adding their season starts in July.

Bell plans to study education and become a teacher. He said he likes Hinesville and may return to teach and coach here in the future.

Bell’s father, Chris, knows a thing or two about baseball. Chris Bell played in college and took his travel team, the Hinesville Barracudas, which included his son, all the way to the United States Specialty Sports Association 14U Class AA World Series in 2012 with a 28-10 overall record. “He is much better than I ever was,” Chris Bell said.

Christopher’s mother, Sherry Bell, said she is a little sad to see her firstborn son leave the nest. But she said their former pastor and Bell’s former youth coach reside close to Paine College and promised to keep an eye on him.

“I am so excited for him,” Sherry Bell, said. “It’s been so much hard work … all the tears, the struggles and the hard work he did put in. Any time he had, he would go out to the field and work. On Saturdays during the summer, he would get up and go hit for three hours. He would come home with blisters all over his fingers. He loves baseball, he has worked really hard and he deserves it.”