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18 Most Important Diamond Rebels: No. 3 Sam Smith
The 2015 Ole Miss Rebels are a team that’s built a lot on new player potential and existing players’ roles increasing from last year. After all, the team lost six starters, the Friday night ace, and both closers. The amount of losses Ole Miss had this offseason doesn’t mean it’s impossible for the team to be successful, it just means they’ll need their players coming back to be reliant and solid leaders. A lot of that success starts and ends with senior right-hander Sam Smith.
Smith has improved each year he’s been in Oxford. He started off his career with a rough rookie year that saw a 2-3 record and a 5.80 ERA in 13 appearances, including nine starts. His sophomore campaign he moved to the Sunday role, and improved to a 3-1 record with a 3.41 ERA, almost doubling his innings pitched from 35.2 to 68.2. Last year was his best yet, posting a 5-4 record and a 3.61 ERA in 94.2 innings despite being hampered with a sports hernia.
The Lake Charles, Louisiana native will start this season as the Saturday starter as junior college transfer Sean Johnson is dealing with mild tendonitis. Smith could settle into the Saturday role or he could shift back into Sunday, it depends on how he performs and how the third starter plays. Regardless, both roles are important as Saturday or Sunday could mean winning a series, salvaging a game, tying it, or avoiding the sweep.
At 6’4 and 230 Lbs. Smith is every bit of a bulldog on the mound, and he pitches like it. He relies on a quality defense behind him as his style is pitching to contact. Smith may not rack up a long list of strikeouts, but he can work quickly through a game with a minimal amount of pitches and works out of jams well.
Ole Miss doesn’t need Smith to be Bobby Wahl, Drew Pomeranz, or anyone else. What they need from Smith is for him to be Sam Smith: the senior leader that can go out, eat some innings and put his team in a position to win each time he’s on the bump.
Recapping the list thus far:
18. Kyle Watson, INF
16. Wyatt Short, LHP
14. Connor Cloyd, OF
13. Holt Perdzock, C
3. Sam Smith, RHP
Michael Quirk is a HottyToddy.com staff reporter and can be reached at michael.quirk@hottytoddy.com.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
Sammy Hagar
February 13, 2015 at 1:08 pm
Mike (Can I call you Mike?),
Sam Smith is truly amazing to me. I mean how can someone balance a college baseball career with being a singer and songwriter? I know he rose to musical fame when he was featured on Disclosure’s breakthrough single “Latch”, which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. Now he is coming off a great last season of baseball with a 5-4 record and 3.61 ERA. WOW. He blew everyone away with “Stay with Me” and took home what – 4 grammys?? I think that just speaks for this kid’s work ethic. I mean before entering the musical theatre (he was in musical theatre too by the way- I wonder if he is enrolled in any theatre classes here?) Smith had been in jazz bands. For a number of years he studied singing and songwriting under jazz vocalist/pianist Joanna Eden. I think we are so lucky to have his on-field and off-field talents. Great article!