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By Sammy Serrano
Director of Scouting

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Old Dominion commit Brett Smith.  The 6-foot-3, 195-pound, RHP, from Grassfield HS is a two-sport athlete that excels both on and off the field.

PBR:  What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected? Easy/Difficult?

Smith:  I have three older siblings that had already gone through the recruiting process (Ryan – football at Princeton, Brandon- Pitched at Old Dominion, Amanda – currently at Virginia Tech, 1st Team All American in track).  I knew what to expect in a general sense but filtering through all the comments, advice, and suggestions from well-meaning outsiders was the most difficult.

PBR:  What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Smith:  I was looking for a college program that was competitive and improving and where I felt comfortable with the coaching staff. I was also interested in schools with an engineering program. ODU offered all of these.

PBR:  Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

Smith:  This was not a major factor for me but was an added plus that ODU is so close. It will be great to play in my hometown area.

PBR:  When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

Smith:  A couple of games stand out here. My sophomore year I pitched a complete game shutout in my first high school start  and later in that season started and pitched well in a district tournament win over a team that had beaten our team badly twice earlier in the season. I think these games helped heat up the recruiting process.

PBR:  Where did the college you chose first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

Smith:  I think ODU really first saw me during the district tournament win my sophomore year that I mentioned previously. Followed that up with attending their summer pitching camp where I got to know the coaches on a more personal level.

PBR:  What do you like most about the college you committed to and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Smith:  I like that ODU moved into Conference USA which offers great baseball competition. I also like the coaching staff and my familiarity with ODU from my brother pitching there.

PBR:  What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

Smith:  In –state schools Liberty and Virginia Tech were probably the top on my short list.

PBR:  Who is the best player you have faced in your state, and why?

Smith:  This is a tough question because there are so many excellent players in the state especially in our 757 area. From a pitcher’s perspective one player, Christian Lowry from Hickory HS (now UVA) stands out as one of the tougher outs at the plate that I faced.

PBR:  At what point in your career did you realize you were a college caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

Smith:  When I started growing my sophomore year and then had the opportunity to pitch in some tight and extra -inning games against some excellent competition and was successful.

PBR:  What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

Smith:  Don’t let other people’s opinions or expectations influence your goals or opinion you have of yourself.  If you want to play another sport as well then have fun and do it – it’s OK to take a break from baseball.  I play football as well.  Also, find a way to get better every day – the little things add up.

PBR:  What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

Smith: My first high school start that I mentioned earlier was played at Harbor Park, our local AAA stadium which made this game even more special and memorable.

PBR:  Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals?

Smith:  We have a lot of position players returning and a solid pitching staff returning. We have some guys that can swing the bat and I believe we will be more solid on defense this year as well. I think Grassfield will be a solid contender for a District Championship and my goal would be to win a State Championship.

PBR:  Where do you play in the summer? And what has been your most memorable experience with them?

Smith:  This summer I played for the Evoshield Canes organization.  Along with the camaraderie and playing with so many excellent players, my most memorable experience with them was pitching a complete game 2-1 win vs. a tough GA  team at the East Cobb, GA WWBA tournament supported by  the awesome defensive efforts behind me.