High Country Sports

Category: College

  • Hamilton drafted by Minnesota Twins

    By Matt Present for App State Sports. SEATTLE, Wash. – App State right-handed pitcher Xander Hamilton has been selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 14th round of the 2023 MLB First Year Player’s Draft.

    Hamilton becomes the 46th App State player to be drafted by a Major League organization and the fifth in the Kermit Smith era.

    Completes big season in 2023

    The Raleigh, N.C., native enjoyed a record-breaking season for the Mountaineers in 2023. Hamilton set the program’s single-season strikeout record with 115, ranking 17th in the nation, while leading the Sun Belt at the conclusion of the regular season.

    Hamilton’s 115 strikeouts came in just 87.2 innings, and he held opponents to a .257 batting average.

    A first-team all-conference selection, Hamilton’s season was highlighted by his performance against No. 8 Coastal Carolina on May 5. That evening in Conway, S.C., Hamilton struck out a school-record 15 batters and yielded just one hit in a career-high eight innings. Hamilton also fanned a then-career-high 13 against Louisiana on March 31, earning Sun Belt player of the Week honors after both outings.

    Hamilton struck out at least nine batters in seven of his 16 starts on the season. He finished the year with an 8-4 record, tying him for 10th on App State’s single-season wins list. He boasted a 6-1 mark in Sun Belt play, and the Mountaineers went 11-5 overall in his outings.

    The Virginia Tech transfer got off to a sensational start in 2022, earning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week honors after an App State debut in which he struck out 10 batters in 6.1 innings against Campbell on opening weekend. Hamilton struck out 51 batters across his first five outings in a Black and Gold uniform, placing him second in the nation five weeks into the season. He finished the year with 62 strikeouts in 43.2 innings despite having his season cut short due to injury.

    Hamilton was named the Cap 7 Pitcher of the Year as a high school senior for Needham B. Broughton, where he recorded a 5-3 record, a 1.80 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 54.1 innings. Hamilton made nine appearances in two seasons with the Hokies before transferring to App State in the fall of 2021.

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  • Bigfoots finish late vs. the Mustangs in 9-8 win

    By Zach Smith. MARTINSVILLE, Va. – On a late night delayed by a broken down bus, the Boone Bigfoots relied on lengthy bullpen appearances and late game heroics to steal a thrilling, 9-8 victory over Martinsville.

    The contest featured three lead changes going into the ninth inning, but Brayden Simpson ripped a 2-run double to put the ‘Foots on top before their last out. In the home half of the final frame, relief pitcher Zach Lewis shut the door on the Mustangs, earning three crucial outs on the way to his first save of the season.

    Entering the contest, the CPL announced rosters for its annual All-Star Game, and both sides got to showcase their respective representatives. The Bigfoots’ selections are Nadir Lewis, Tyson Bass, Carlos Amezquita and Cordarius Butler.

    Boone took a 5-4 lead after the first three innings in what looked to be an early, offensive shootout. Bats on both sides stagnated, though, as the next run wouldn’t be scored until the seventh inning. The Bigfoots extended their lead by tacking on another run but Martinsville tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. The Mustangs then took a one run lead in the eighth thanks to some defensive miscues by the ‘Foots.

    Crunch Time

    Boone entered the ninth inning with a one run deficit — looking to get its bats hot and stage a late, come-from-behind rally.

    And they did. After a leadoff flyout, Lewis singled and Weller saw just one strike on his way to first via a walk. Wallace followed with a long fly ball to center, which moved both runners into scoring position when they made a risky decision to tag up and run on the centerfielder’s catch. Then, with the Bigfoots down to their last out, Simpson provided the decisive blow, knocking in both Lewis and Weller to push the Bigfoots in front — transforming the one-run deficit at the beginning of the inning and making it a one-run lead after the last out.

    Martinsville still had one more opportunity to tie or get ahead to win the game but looked defeated already. And yet, that didn’t stop Carmichael from hitting a single to give the Virginians a glimmer of hope. Reese Robinett then put his body on the line, taking the Mustangs’ third hit-by-pitch of the game and a free pass to first base. It also put Carmichael in scoring position with the potential tying run at second base.

    Boone went to the bullpen for the final time, bringing App State product Zach Lewis to the mound for a “save” opportunity. True to form, Lewis retired the next three batters on just seven pitches to solidify the win for the visitors and earn the save.

    Coach has high praise

    Bigfoots head coach Randall Ortiz was asked postgame about the bullpen’s ability to get the job done.

    “My plan with [Jackson] Kirkpatrick was, go at least three, four innings. Of course, that didn’t work out today, but the bullpen today came big,” Ortiz said. “Guys like Nate Crissey, Parker [Kruglewicz] and Zach at the end. I think they definitely helped us win today’s game.”

    Catcher Rhogue Wallace’s consistency at the plate in recent contests was also brought up by an elated Ortiz.

    “He’s been the guy, he’s been swinging (the bat) well for us when he plays,” Ortiz said “Especially tonight, he had a great game. He was trying to put the ball in play every time and it definitely paid off for him.”

    Ortiz also spoke on the dugout’s reaction to Simpson’s go ahead double, and what Simpson has brought to the team lately.

    “It was a huge reaction from the dugout,” Ortiz said. “Lately, the past two or three weeks he got a lot better, competing on the at-bats and not a lot of swings and misses. He’s done a great job lately and that last inning was huge.”

    Boone’s win improves the team record to 4-3 while Martinsville falls to 1-4. The Bigfoots are back at Smith Stadium on Wednesday at 6:30pm for a matchup against the visiting High Point- Thomasville HiToms.

  • Jeep RubiTrux raffle set for App State Athletics

    By Matt Present for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – App State Athletics and RubiTrux Boone have partnered to raffle off a Mountaineer-branded 2023 Jeep Rubicon, also known as the Jeep RubiTrux Raffle in benefit of student athletes.

    Raffle tickets are just $100, and all net proceeds will go to support App State Athletics. A drawing will take place on Nov. 17, and the winner will be presented with this one-of-a-kind Jeep in an on-field ceremony during the Nov. 25 App State football game against Georgia Southern. The raffle will be capped at 4,000 tickets sold.

    “We are thrilled to offer our fans the opportunity to win this one-of-a-kind App State-branded Jeep Gladiator. Partnering with Rubitrux and App State alum Jessie Robertson is a fun way to uniquely raise funds for our student-athletes and give Mountaineer fans the chance to win an awesome new vehicle,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director Spencer Bridges.

    “We are proud to partner with my alma mater and offer a one-of-a-kind vehicle that’s built with comfort and off-road use in mind,” said RubiTrux President and General Manager, Jesse Robertson. “We have a world class team over here at RubiTrux and everyone is excited to see their craftsmanship at App. State games. I can’t wait to meet the winner and show them around their custom Jeep.”

    The Jeep comes complete with top-of-the-line upgrades that include heated front seats and steering wheel, App State “A” stitched headrests, remote start capability, hard-top headliner, and Alpine premium audio system. RubiTrux has equipped this vehicle with premium suspension, fog lights, and wheels and tires designed for rugged off-road and comfortable on road use.

    The last day to purchase a raffle ticket for the Jeep RubiTrux Raffle will be Nov. 16. Tickets can be purchased online or in-person at the Appalachian State University ticket office (111 Rivers St. in Boone).

    About App State Athletics
    More than 400 student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division I varsity sports at Appalachian State University, and dedicated fans love to cheer them on. App State’s nationally ranked football team has enjoyed unprecedented success at the highest level of Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision) with six bowl wins in its first six years at the FBS level and four Sun Belt Conference championships. The Mountaineers were a dominant force in the Southern Conference for more than 40 years before moving up in 2014. App State student-athletes in all sports pursue daily comprehensive excellence in academics, competition and community involvement. All varsity teams compete in the Sun Belt Conference, except for field hockey (MAC) and wrestling (SoCon). For more, visit http://www.appstatesports.com.
    About RubiTrux
    Based in Boone, North Carolina, RubiTrux is an App State alumni owned business with over 25 years of experience in Jeep conversions. Jeeps are the most customized vehicles in the world and we excel in customizing Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators, now extending our expertise to the latest Jeep off-road models. With 600+ V8 HEMI Conversions since 2013, our quality engine, suspension, and interior modifications set us apart. We offer powerful V8 Hemi and Limited-Edition Richard Petty Hemi engine conversions for Wranglers or Gladiators. Whether you desire a ready-to-ship Hemi conversion or wish to build your dream vehicle from the ground up, we’re your go-to. Our team, with a cumulative 135 years of industry experience, ensures your vehicle meets your expectations and our standards. As a leading custom Jeep facility, we ship Jeeps and Parts worldwide.

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  • Meinhold hired as App State Baseball pitching coach

    By Matt Present for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — App State Baseball has hired Ricky Meinhold as the program’s pitching coach, head coach Kermit Smith announced Monday.

    Over a 13-year coaching career, Meinhold has worked across nearly every level of baseball, coaching collegiately, in Minor League Baseball, in Major League Baseball, as well as internationally – highlighted by a stint as assistant pitching coach for the New York Mets.

    A Good Fit

    “After our first conversation, it was clear who our next pitching coach needed to be,” Smith said. “Ricky and I connected on a number of different levels from our belief on family to the development of pitchers. I am as excited about his mentorship of our student-athletes as I am of his ability to develop our pitchers. Hillary, Carter and Charlie will make a great impact in the Boone community. We just hit an absolute home run with Ricky and his family.”

    Born in St. Louis, Mo., and raised in Springfield, Mo., and Campbell, Calif., Meinhold most recently served as the pitching coach for the University of Missouri. Prior to a one-year stint with the Tigers, Meinhold served as the Director of Pitching for the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization. Under his leadership, the Giants’ rotation recorded a 3.55 ERA, good for third best in the league, after finishing eighth place or worse in ERA in the previous five seasons.

    “What a journey this has been. Since the first conversation with Kermit, I felt a strong connection through our beliefs in not only pitching and baseball, but leadership, family and faith,” Meinhold said. “I am excited to help bring the vision to reality in continuing to build a program that not only competes for Sun Belt Championships consistently, but Omaha as well.

    “My family and I are excited to serve these student-athletes, the University and the Boone Community. Thank you to Coach Smith, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin and Deputy Athletics Director Jonathan Reeder for their confidence in me to lead this pitching staff. We can’t wait to get started.”

    Diverse Career

    Meinhold spent eight seasons working in a variety of capacities for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets organizations. In 2019, Meinhold was hired as the Mets’ pitching coordinator where he was charged with creating and implementing all pitching programs, philosophies and development initiatives across all levels of the organization – blending experiential data with data-driven programs. In 2021, Meinhold was promoted to Assistant Major League Pitching coach, leading the Mets’ staff to post a 3.90 team ERA that ranked ninth in MLB and fifth in the National League.

    Previously, in six seasons with the Cardinals, he worked in the organization’s scouting department, where he provided the front office with player evaluation reports to assist in the organization’s player transactions, from domestic and international amateur scouting to domestic and international professional scouting. Also included in his responsibilities were advance scouting projects in the regular season and postseason. He also assisted with pitching development in the Cardinals throughout the entire organization creating systems and processes still used today. Additionally, he served as a mentor for coaches within the Cardinals’ Minor League system. Meinhold previously worked for the Cardinals during the 2014 season as an assistant coach for the High-A affiliate Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League.

    Before working in player development, Meinhold served as a pitching coach and pitching evaluator for Team USA’s 17U and 18U programs. He led the most successful 18U pitching staff ever assembled for international play in the 2017 WBSC World Cup, as the staff posted a 0.47 ERA on their way to winning a gold medal. The team included current/former MLB pitchers Ryan Weathers (San Diego Padres, 1st Round) and Matt Liberatore (Tampa Bay Rays, 1st Round, St. Louis Cardinals). Among the nine pitcher-only members, all have been drafted and are currently playing professional baseball.

    A 2009 graduate from Drury University (Springfield, Mo.), where he was a baseball and basketball student-athlete, Meinhold went on to play three years of professional baseball as a left-handed pitcher. He began his coaching career at Lindenwood University, where he was part of the program’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

    In 2011, Meinhold was hired as the pitching coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant athletic director at Division II Coker College, where he also earned his master’s degree in 2013.

    Meinhold and his wife, Hillary, have a son, Carter, and a daughter, Charlie.

    What they’re saying about Meinhold…

    “I have known Ricky several years now through my association with USA Baseball and our professional and college baseball circles. Ricky is very professional, experienced, knowledgeable, hardworking and up on the latest technology and fundamentals to improve App State’s pitching staff. He has a great ability to relate to the players, instill belief and confidence, and is a great competitor. Every player he teaches, develops, improves and competes. App State Baseball got a winner and a truly talented and passionate pitching coach to help them win the Sun Belt Conference and compete with the very best.”

    Jack Leggett
    Clemson Head Coach 1994-2015
    Manager 18U USA National Team 2018-2019
    ABCA Hall of Fame 2014

    “From the moment we first hired Ricky here at the Cardinals, we knew he had a tremendous ability to combine new-age pitching technologies and data analytics with relatable pitching philosophies. Ricky’s rapport with players and staff alike has always been a high-quality trait for him. Ricky and his wife, Hillary, are tremendous parents and will fit in well within the App State community. Congrats to Coach Smith in hiring a gem in Ricky Meinhold.”

    Matt Slater
    St. Louis Cardinals, Special Assistant to the General Manager, Player Procurement

    “First and foremost, Ricky Meinhold is a man of high character and integrity. With an impressive resumé in both college and pro baseball, Ricky is on the cutting edge of pitching data and analytics metrics. However, Ricky also has the unique ability to teach and communicate effectively. App State Baseball has just become a cut above the rest of the league competition in the Sun Belt Conference.”

    Kevin Burrell
    Chicago White Sox, Scout

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  • Appalachian FC in 1-0 win over Georgia Revolution

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian FC shrugged off playing short-handed after a “send off,” battling to a 1-0 National Premier Soccer League win over the Georgia Revolution on July 1 to secure a place in the upcoming Southeast Conference playoffs.

    Ham Lovett punched in the lone Sasquatch goal in the 23rd minute but then punched out of the match with a send-off for dangerous play midway through the second half, in the 62nd minute after receiving his second yellow card.

    Photographic image by David Rogers

    Forced to play a man down in the field, Appalachian FC picked up the intensity, defensively, and prevented the Revolution from scoring even in the waning minutes when the Georgia goalkeeper left the net and joined the attack, essentially making it 12 vs. 10.

    After the game, Appalachian FC head coach Dale Parker was pleased with the overall effort.

    “I am very proud of our guys for their tenacity and courage in the face of adversity,” Parker said. “It is unfortunate that we put ourselves in that situation but everyone stepped up.”

    For this game, Parker said, they modified their usual aggressive, attacking style and added an extra defender.

    “We like to attack, but we were giving up more goals than we were putting in. When you average giving up more than two goals a soccer match, that isn’t going to get the job done. So we settled for a less aggressive approach.

    Playoffs Ahead

    Based on the current league standings published in the National Premier Soccer League standings and the playoffs structure, Appalachian FC has the slightest edge over Charlottetown Hops for second place in the 6-team Southeast Conference of the NPSL. Both teams have 4-3-2 records, but Appalachian FC has 19 goals for vs. 15 against, while Charlottetown has scored 17 goals vs. 15 allowed. Except perhaps for determining who gets to host the conference semifinal, the difference is moot since the playoff structure has the No. 2 seed playing the No. 3 seed. Assuming this scenario holds true, No. 1 Apotheos (5-1-3) will face No. 4 Georgia Revolution (4-6-0). At 2-4-3 and 2-5-2. respectively, 865 Alliance and Georgia Storm will be the teams left out of the playoffs.

    Ironically, two of Appalachian FC’s three conference losses during the regular season were to Charlottetown, both considered hard-fought, if not controversial.

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    BONUS PHOTOS

    All photographic images by David Rogers

    Photographic image by David Rogers

     

  • Bigfoots edge HiToms, 7-6, on Vasquez HR

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Stormy skies threatened, then disappeared on July 1 at Smith Stadium where the Boone Bigfoots edged the HP-Thomasville HiToms, 7-6.

    Both teams had good offensive production early in the game, resulting in  a 5-5 score by the end of the fourth inning. After three innings of shutout ball, the Bigfoots got back to business and followed the HiToms’ eighth inning run with a tally in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, then another in the 10th inning for the win.

    In the bottom of the 8th, after the HiToms had poked ahead, 6-5, in the top half of the inning, the Bigfoots threatened to tie when Justin Reed walked and Watauga High School alum Tristan Salinas was inserted as a pinch runner. The former Pioneer hardballer survived two pickoff attempts, then stole both second base and third base, putting himself in scoring position to potentially tie the game. Unfortunately, he was left stranded on third to end the inning.

    Boone’s shortstop, Jalen Vasquez, took care of things, though, in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run to knot the score at 6-6. Then Will Dorrell, who had left Salinas stranded on third an inning earlier, redeemed himself with a single to left, scoring Carlos Amezquita from third base to win the day.

    Righthanded starting pitcher Dakota Crumbley (1-1) was credited as the winning pitcher with the HiToms’ Cam Padgitt picking up the loss. Boone’s closer, Cordarius Butler, recorded his sixth save on the year.

    With the win, Boone (10-12) settles into the West Division’s fourth place as the Coastal Plain League approaches the midway point of the season.

    TOP BIGFOOTS PERFORMERS
    • Rhogue Wallace: 3-4, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 2B, HR
    • Will Dorrell: 3-5, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, 3B, SB
    • Caden Wagner: 1-5, 1 RBI, 2B
    • Jalen Vasquez: 1-4, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, HR
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  • FanFest scheduled for Aug. 19 at Kidd Brewer Stadium

    By Joey Jones for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – App State Athletics will celebrate the beginning of the 2023-24 athletics calendar with FanFest, presented by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, on Saturday, Aug. 19 at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

    The event will run from 3:30-6 p.m. and give fans the opportunity to interact with their favorite fall sport student-athletes.

    FanFest  features an hour-long autograph signing session from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. with student-athletes from the football, volleyball, field hockey, soccer, cross country, cheer and dance teams.

    Additionally, there will be inflatables and other interactive games at FanFest. Concessions stands will be open for food and beverages.

    Fans are encouraged to park in the Rivers Street Deck, the Stadium Deck (off Jack Branch Drive, past Raven Rocks Hall) or the Justice Lot (off Stadium Drive, behind New River Hall). Spaces are subject to availability.

    The 2023 football season kicks off Sept. 3 with a home game against Gardner-Webb. The Sept. 16 home game against East Carolina will be Family Weekend, while Homecoming is slated for Oct. 28 against Southern Miss and Heroes Day is scheduled for Nov. 4 against Marshall. Black Saturday will be Nov. 25 against Georgia Southern.

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  • Bigfoots rally late to deflate Blowfish, 12-11

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — What started off as a slugfest — 11-7 after just two innings — ended with more of a whimper. In came in the form of a Boone Bigfoots rally from behind in the late innings to defeat the Lexington County Blowfish, 12-11, on June 28 at Smith Stadium.

    The Blowfish got the offensive fireworks started in the top of the first with four runs, including a 3-run blast off the bat of catcher Ryan Ouzts.

    Controversy Brews

    But in the bottom half of the first, Lexington’s starter on the mound, Beckett White, lost his composure in alleging that a Bigfoots player was stealing signs. He had just given up a pair of runs on singles by Nadir Lewis and Tyson Bass when he started to complain. The Bigfoots piled on with a verbal barrage from the dugout when White hit the next batter, Boone newcomer Brandon Rogers. After a passed ball that allowed Rogers to advance to second and Tyson Bass to advance to third, Max Weller ripped triple to the gap in center, scoring both runners. A wild pitch by White allowed Weller to score from third and it kept getting worse with a walk to J C Navarro and consecutive singles by Rhogue Wallace and Carlos Amezquita.

    By the time White got a third out, the Bigfoots had taken a 7-4 lead — and it was just the first inning.

    Here comes the run! Helping the Bigfoots rally
    Photographic image by David Rogers

    Bigfoots Rally Late

    Some might have called the action in the top of the second inning “payback” for all the previous Bigfoot taunting when Lexington County batted around, producing six runs to take a 10-7 lead and then shutting down the Boone crew. In fact, neither team could push another run across the plate until the Bigfoots tallied five more runs over the 6th(1), 7th(1) and 8th(3) innings. The 8th inning production was highlighted by a 2-run single off the bat of Tyson Bass and a sacrifice fly to center from Rogers.

    With the win, the Bigfoots (9-10) solidified their hold on 4th place in the West Division of the Coastal Plain League. At 10-8, Lexington County is in third place, behind Forest City (13-6) and Macon Bacon (11-8).

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  • Bigfoots earn split decision in doubleheader vs. Martinsville

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — After a break in the weather that allowed the Boone Bigfoots to make-up at least one game with a doubleheader against the Martinsville Mustangs on June 25, the local baseball team earned a split decision. They defeated the Mustangs at Smith Stadium, 4-1, in the curtain-raiser but fell to the visitors in the nightcap, 7-5.

    A six and one half-hour bus ride from Macon, Ga., where they played a day earlier against the Macon Bacon left the Bigfoots all but exhausted as they arrived at Smith Stadium just an hour before the first game was set to begin.

    Boone Bigfoots base runner gets back to first vs. Martinsville on June 25
    Martinsville pitcher keeping the Boone Bigfoots runner ‘honest.’ Photographic image by David Rogers

    GAME 1

    Starting pitcher Dante Chirico, an App State team member during the spring, was in good form against Martinsville in the first game. He pitched four innings of shutout ball before giving up a run in the fifth inning and then yielding to reliever Lawrence Gallo. Chirico face 22 batters, allowing the one run on four hits, walking four and striking out five.

    Neither Gallo nor closer Cordarius Butler allowed a run in what was kept as a 7-inning game to accommodate the doubleheader.

    Offensively, the Bigfoots opened the game with a run in the first inning when leadoff batter Andrew McDermott cracked a double to center and Nadir Lewis drove him home with a single to left two batters later.

    With Chirico, Gallo and Butler all in top form from the mound, Boone added single runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

    BOX SCORE AND PLAY BY PLAY

    GAME 2

    Martinsville earned the split decision in Game 2 with a middle innings rally and a strong pitching performance by Ryan Friesen, who kept the Bigfoots bats mostly silent through four innings of work. The righthander allowed a pair of runs on three hits, walking one and striking out three during his stint on the mound.

    The Bigfoots countered in the second game with Dakota Crumbley on the hill, who likewise put in four innings of work before getting into trouble in the top of the fifth. For the day, Crumbley gave up four runs on just one hit, with four walks and a strikeout. Reliever Nate McKissick didn’t fare much better, allowing three runs on three hits in just two innings.

    The Bigfoots’ four fielding errors, two by Crumbley, did not help their cause.

    The visiting Mustangs’ Drew Needham went 2-4 at the plate, including a home run, producing two runs scored and two RBIs. For the Bigfoots, Tyler Bass smacked a home run and two doubles to go 3-3, with three runs scored and three RBIs. Max Weller helped Boone’s cause at the plate, too, going 1-3 with 2 RBIs.

    Next action for the Bigfoots is an June 26 road tilt against Forest Cirty, where they hope to reverse their fortunes so far this season against the Owls, who have proven Boone’s nemesis in Coastal Plain League action.

    CLICK HERE: BOX SCORE AND PLAY BY PLAY

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    BONUS PHOTOS

    Dante Chirico on the mound for Boone Bigfoots in June 25 win vs. Martinsville Mustangs.
    Dante Chirico was effective on the mound June 25 against the Martinsville Mustangs, in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Photographic image by David Rogers

  • Smith signs contract extension for App State Baseball

    By Matt Present for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — Following the most successful baseball season in over a decade, App State head coach Kermit Smith has signed a contract extension that runs through the 2027 season, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin announced Friday. The extension was approved by Chancellor Sheri Everts and the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees.

    “We are excited about the future of App State Baseball under Kermit’s direction,” Gillin said. “The program made great strides this year, including single-game and season attendance records, wins over nationally ranked opponents and a run to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals. We look forward to our student-athletes’ continued pursuit of excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.”

    Smith and the Mountaineers completed a record-breaking season last month, in which they posted a program-best 16 Sun Belt Conference victories and three league tournament wins in one of the top-five baseball conferences in the country. They also recorded the program’s first 30-win season since 2013.

    “The first time I met Chancellor Everts, she greeted me with, ‘Welcome Home.’ What an honest statement to represent, not only the campus, but also the community that we were moving to,” Smith said. “This is home for us and we are thrilled at the direction of our baseball program. The investment to make our program one of the best in the country has never been bigger. We are as close as we’ve been to being the program that we want to be.

    “I’m very thankful to our Board of Trustees, Chancellor Everts and Doug Gillin for entrusting this program to me. Thank you to our student-athletes and our staff who are the reason that we do this. I’m honored to be your coach. Our fan base has made Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium one of the best game day environments in the Sun Belt. Lastly, I’d like to thank Jonathan Reeder whose leadership has helped our baseball program grow to new heights.”

    Under Smith’s leadership in 2023, the Mountaineers came within two wins of their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012. Led by first-team All-Sun Belt selections Xander Hamilton and CJ Boyd, the Mountaineers began by winning their first seven games of the year, standing as one of the final 13 undefeated teams in college baseball.

    The Mountaineers achieved a multitude of team milestones, finishing in the top 10 in single-season program history with 459 strikeouts (1st), 67 home runs (4th), .971 fielding percentage (4th), 13 saves (5th), 410 runs scored (7th), 555 hits (9th), 73 stolen bases (9th) and 111 doubles (10th).

    Along the way, the Mountaineers defeated a pair of nationally ranked opponents, one-hitting 8th-ranked Coastal Carolina 11-0 on May 5 and defeating 16th-ranked Southern Miss 4-2 in the Sun Belt Tournament on May 27.

    On April 14 at Georgia Southern, Smith recorded his 600th career victory in a 10-7 win over the Eagles. Smith has won 141 games in a Black and Gold uniform, trailing only Jim Morris (611) and Chris Pollard (244) on the program’s wins list.

    The Mountaineers finished the season 88th nationally in RPI, their best mark since 2013. The Sun Belt Conference as a whole ranked fifth in average RPI this season, with all 10 Sun Belt Tournament teams ranking among the top 100. The SEC and ACC were the only other conferences in the nation to earn that distinction. Seven of App State’s 2023 opponents qualified for an NCAA regional.

    In the classroom, App State Baseball owns a cumulative GPA of 3.07, helping the athletics department to 22 consecutive semesters of at least a 3.0 GPA. In Smith’s seven seasons as head coach, all 50 seniors who have completed their eligibility in a Mountaineer uniform have earned an App State degree, with several student-athletes earning multiple degrees.

    https://appstatesports.com/

    https://appstatesports.com/sports/baseball/archives

    https://appstatesports.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kermit-smith/1248