Former Cape Central star Christian Cavaness signs with Minnesota Twins

Former Central standout Christian Cavaness became the first baseball player from Lindenwood-Belleville University to sign a professional contract on Monday, according to a press release from the university.

Cavaness, who just completed his junior season with the Lynx, was inked to a deal with the Minnesota Twins' affiliate in the Gulf Coast League after spending his summer in the West Coast League with the Bend, Oregon, Elks.

"Our program is extremely excited for Christian," Lindenwood coach Logan Johnson said in the release. "He's earned this opportunity through his work and dedication to the game. I know one of his goals was to play at the next level, and now he has that chance. It will be very exciting to see him develop, and he knows that he will always have the full support of the Lindenwood-Belleville baseball program."

Cavaness was selected to the West Coast League All-Star team after batting .322 with 17 RBIs this season. He led the Elks with a team-high 146 at-bats and 37 runs.

A third-team All-American in high school, Cavaness was one of two Lynx players to appear in all 53 games as a junior and led the team in batting average (.395), hits (66), runs (64), triples (10), home runs (11), total bases (129), RBIs (48), walks (33) and stolen bases (23), which earned him first-team All-American Midwest Conference and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-American honors.

Cavaness is scheduled to join the GCL Twins, a rookie level affiliate, next week for the final 32 games of the season, according to the university.