28 Days until First Pitch - #28 Jordan Smith

It's 28 days until the 2014 season's first pitch and the first three game home series against the Ohio Bobcats.

#28 Jordan Smith

Class: Senior
Hometown: Liberty, N.C.
High School: Providence Grove HS
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 200
Position: RHP
B/T: R/R



Career Notes: After three seasons, is ranked 14th in WCU's career record book with 209 strikeouts, averaging nearly 70 strikeouts per season ... His 44 career starts rank him fifth in program history, just nine starts shy of tying Jack Kimel (1989-92) for first all-time ... Smith has tossed 269.2 career innings to rank him ninth in WCU's career ledgers.

2013 (Junior): All 15 appearances on the season came in the starting role, tossing a team-high 94 innings ... Posted a 7-3 overall record to rank second on the team in victories with a career-best 3.73 ERA which ranked 11th in the SoCon ... Recorded 70 strikeouts on the year, fanning three-or-more in every game including twice striking out a season-high seven - vs. Samford (April 14) and Wofford (May 12) ... Walked just 33 on the season, averaging 2.2 walks per outing ... Allowed 87 hits on the season with just 24 going for extra bases ... Claimed the victory in his first start of the year against Washington State (Feb. 16), but would not earn a win again until April 14 against Samford, suffering three losses and four no decisions ... Finished the year strong by scoring the win in six of his final seven starts of the season ... Tossed a season-high 8.2 innings in a pitcher's duel against Elon (March 24), scattering two runs on five hits with five strikeouts in a 2-1 loss at home ... Threw 100-or-more pitches in 10 of his 15 appearances on the year ... Tallied 25 fielding assists with five putouts ... Named to the 2012-13 Southern Conference Honor Roll; Summer League: Pitched in seven games during the summer, tossing just over 28 innings for the San Luis Obispo Blues of the California Collegiate League ... Posted a 3-2 record with a 1.27 ERA ... Scattered 20 hits while holding opponents to eight runs, only four of which were earned ... Struck out 24 against eight walks and limited opposing batters to a .189 batting average against ... Earned Mid-Season All-Star recognition in the California Collegiate League.

2012 (Sophomore): Made 16 appearances including 15 starts ... Led the team with both 95.2 innings pitched - averaging a team-best 5.98 innings per appearance ... Finished with 78 strikeouts, tallying at least three strikeouts in every start ... Finished with a 4-5 overall record and a 3.48 earned run average, limiting foes to a .257 batting average against ... On the season, induced 110 ground ball outs including nine double plays, with 76 fly ball outs ... Threw seven and a third scoreless innings against Iona (March 2) to pick up his first victory of the season ... Struck out a career-high 11 in eight innings, scoring the victory in game one of a double-header over UNC Greensboro (March 24) ... Threw one inning of relief out of the bullpen against Clemson (April 4) in a mid-week road victory ... Earned Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing a complete-game, five-hit shutout in the road win over Georgia Southern (May 11) ... In a weather-shortened start against No. 24 Appalachian State (May 17), held the Mountaineers hitless through the first five innings, finishing with three hits through six frames before the game was halted ... Threw over 100 pitches in nine games on the year; Summer League: Pitched for the Cotuit Kettleers in the prestigious Cape Cod League in the summer of 2012... Made nine appearances on the summer including four starts, tossing 27.2 innings ... Finished with a 2-3 overall record and a 6.83 ERA ... Posted 21 strikeouts against just six walks.

2011 (Freshman): Started all 14 appearances he made on the mound including two complete game shutout victories ... His team-leading two CG's were the most for a freshman Catamount pitcher since 1999 ... Posted a 6-7 overall record and a 5.29 ERA ... Was second on the team with 61 strikeouts while leading the squad with a 2.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio ... Ranked tied for 10th in the SoCon with 26 strikeouts looking ... Limited opponents to a .280 batting average against ... Induced six double plays, second on the team ... Made his first career start, scattering two hits in five scoreless innings in a win over Morehead State (February 19), striking out five against three walks ... Struck out a career-best nine in eight, four-hit innings at Davidson (March 27) in scoring his first Southern Conference victory ... Picked up his first-ever complete game shutout, tossing a four-hitter against Wofford (April 23), striking out eight ... Scattered 10 base hits to earn a second complete game shutout against The Citadel (May 20), striking out seven ... Did struggle in two starts on the season, being lifted in the second inning at the College of Charleston (April 2) and at Appalachian State (May 8) ... Tossed over 100 pitches in a game six times on the season.

Prior to Western Carolina: Was the 16th-ranked baseball recruit in the state of North Carolina by PG Crosschecker, and ranks 331st in the nation by the same group ... Was selected to play for the North Carolina squad in the South Atlantic Border Battle ... Was a member of the 2009 Oakland Athletics Area Code Baseball team in Long Beach, Calif. ... Played summer baseball with NCBA Golden Spikes ... Named WCU's Most Outstanding Pitcher from the team's Fall World Series.

Personal: Full name is Jordan Mark Smith ... Is the sone of Mark and Jodie Smith ... Has two siblings, Whitney and Connor.

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations