Chabot Slugger Nervis Grambling Bound

Chabot College right fielder Gerald Nervis Jr., a multitalented player with speed, a strong arm and prolific power, recently orally committed to Grambling State.

“It’s a great fit for him, academically and athletically. It fits his personality too,” Chabot head coach Will Tavis said of Grambling, a university in north central Louisiana known for its Tigers Marching Band and legendary football coach Eddie Robinson, Sr.

Nervis, a self-described five-tool competitor, raked 11 home runs as a Chabot freshman in 2019. His all-time favorite player, he says, is San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays.

The Tigers program seems like a great next step for Nervis.

“Grambling is known for being a really good academic school,” said Nervis, who transferred to Chabot from Saint Mary’s College. “I know that it’s very prestigious and getting degree from there is worth something. They have a history of baseball draft picks the past few years, and I’m hoping to become one of them.”

Nervis said Grambling made an early offer in December when he was uncommitted and weighing his options. He credits Grambling coach and recruiting coordinator Davin Pierre for his patience.

“Most schools try to get you to go quickly -- he gave me the time,” Nervis said.

Of course, the Gladiators, like everyone else in sports, saw their season cut short last month due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this difficult and sad time for the country, Nervis is eyeing a bright future because of the right moves he’s made. He says Chabot counselors did a “good job of getting us classes early that we need to transfer. They were pretty on top of that, especially for me being a ‘4-2-4 guy’ (coming from a four-year school).”

He needed to complete his A.A. degree in order to transfer to another four-year program.

Nervis, a former San Leandro High star who batted .548 with a .622 on-base percentage as a Pirates senior, loves talking about the people who’ve helped him along the way. He has praise for his family, college counselors, Chabot teammates, and the Gladiators coaching staff.

He describes his former coach at San Leandro, Mike Bungarz, as a “great coach” and mentor who taught players about baseball and life. Nervis also gives a big “shout out” to his parents, Gerald, Sr. and Carolyn, for their unwavering support. “Without them this wouldn’t be possible,” he says.

Moreover, Gerald’s older sister, Geracar’, showed him the right path from an academic perspective.

“Big inspiration,” Nervis says of Geracar’, a Senior Marketing Communications Manager with Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco. She received her B.A. at Cal State East Bay, master’s at Golden Gate University and professional Certificate in New Media and Marketing at University of Denver.

For major college prospects like Nervis, the shortened baseball season was a blow because it reduced significantly their chance to be seen by college and pro scouts. Last month Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed to shorten the draft from 40 rounds to possibly as low as five.

Nervis (5-11, 195) has long attracted attention as an outfielder and right-handed pitcher. He was named to the 2017 NorCal Showcase Prospect List when he was described by Perfect Game as having a “medium frame with a strong, athletic build.” He ran the 60-yard dash in 7.15 seconds, among other athletic attributes.

He signed initially with Saint Mary’s, but the Gaels wanted him to redshirt, he says, “so I decided to bet on myself and see I if could get another opportunity.”

Clearly, the move to Chabot has worked out handsomely. Tavis raves of Nervis’ work ethic as well as his improvements on defense and base running: “A good dude, a good person,” Tavis says of Nervis. “He works extremely hard.”

Soon he’ll be a Tiger, and hungry for more.