The Hopkins men’s baseball team faced a daunting task this weekend: a doubleheader against the number one and number two teams in NCAA D-III. The Jays themselves were only ranked 40th.
Despite formidable odds, in what will surely go down in Hopkins baseball history, the Blue Jays managed to defeat both the top-seeded Cortland State Red Dragons and the second-ranked Keystone Giants to bring their record to 3-1.
This was the first time since May 2008 that the Jays beat a number one ranked team
Games that result in such victories are surely the result of a large team effort, making the task of selecting Athlete of the Week challenging. Nevertheless, the climax of the weekend had to be junior third baseman Mike Smith’s two-run, walk-off home run against Cortland.
This junior standout has been a reliable performer for the Jays throughout his three years. Consistently starting at third base since his rookie season, Smith is known throughout the Centennial Conference as a true competitor.
“Mike is a gamer. He always carries the same demeanor on the field whether we are up 10 runs or down 10,” junior teammate Zach Jaffe said. “Most importantly, he is one of the guys I always want up when there is a big play.”
Fortunately for the Jays, it was Smith at the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two outs in the inning, with the Jays just moments away from defeat. With 3-1 on the count, Cortland’s pitcher, junior Patrick Merryweather, threw a fastball down the middle. Smith hit Merryweather’s fastball out of the park.
Smith’s walk-off homer, along with his team-leading five RBI’s on the day, earned him the honor of being named the Centennial Conference Player of the Week, announced this past Monday.
Smith was kind enough to visit Colwell’s Court following his tremendous performance to discuss what this weekend meant to him and his teammates.
The News-Letter: Facing the top two teams in the nation, what were the team’s expectations going into Sunday’s games?
Mike Smith: We expected to go out and win both games. We believe in our pitching, defense and hitting and feel that we can compete with anyone in the country.
N-L: With two outs in the inning and the team down by one, what was going through your head when you walked up to the plate for your last at-bat?
MS: Going up to the plate, I was thankful Dillon Bowman had been able to reach base and then steal second. With him in scoring position, I was just trying to put a ball in the outfield to score the run, and it ended up going out of the ballpark.
N-L: How did it feel to hit a walk-off home run against the number one team in the country?
MS: It was pretty amazing hitting a walk-off homer against them, but that moment would not have been possible without everyone else doing their job and keeping us in the game.
N-L: Coming off the exciting win against Cortland, was it hard for the team to remain focused for game two? How tired were you going into the game against Keystone?
MS: It was a little tough refocusing for game two against Keystone. We were excited and had a little hangover from the win against Cortland. We got down early in game two, but thankfully we were able to come back again and get another huge win.
N-L: How have the two games shaped team morale?
MS: Team morale is higher than I have seen it in my three years here. This was our first time getting over the hump and beating a top tier team, and I could not be more proud of all the guys.
N-L: Any personal goals for the rest of the season?
MS: Obviously I want to play well, but I do not have any personal goals. Team success and winning the Conference Championship, as well as making it to the World Series are my only goals, and together I think the team can achieve all of these.
