DiamondDawgs Add Another Sacramento State Outfielder
LITTLE FALLS, N.Y. -- The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs are pleased to announce the signing of sophomore designated hitter/outfielder Matt Smith from California State University, Sacramento, for the 2017 season.
"Matt is a true hitter and had a huge impact on Sacramento State's baseball team in his freshman season, starting 46 games and playing in 51," DiamondDawgs Owner and President Travis Heiser said. "At 6-foot-3, Matt will be a big presence in our lineup this summer. To have a 16 game hit-streak at any level is a great accomplishment, but to do it as a true freshman is just amazing. We expected Matt to be one of the better hitters in the league and are excited to see him in a Dawgs uniform this summer. He comes from a great college program in Sacramento State, where we have had many great players from in the past, and we are confident he will be no different".
"Being a California native and going to school in California, I have only really experienced baseball on the West Coast," Smith said. "It is really exciting to travel across the country and experience how the East Coast plays baseball. I have heard wonderful things about the team from former players and am really excited to get to experience it firsthand. My goals for the summer will be to get back to 100-percent. Coming off an injury I want to perform at the highest level for the DiamondDawgs and help the team and organization grow as a whole".
Matt Smith's Profile:
FRESHMAN (2016): Academic All-WAC...Played in 51 games with 48 starts...Started 46 games at designated hitter and two in left field...Hit .289 with 29 RBIs and 19 runs scored...Ranked third on the team in RBIs...Began his career on a 16-game hitting streak, tied for the ninth longest hitting streak in program history and third longest all season in the WAC...Was hit by a pitch in the ninth game of the season and missed a week and a half before returning and extending his hitting streak by another seven games...Hit a WAC-best .421 during the season-opening hitting streak...Had hits in 22 of his first 23 collegiate games...Also had an 8-game hitting streak later in the season...Had an RBI in each of his first four collegiate games and eight of his first nine contests...Hit 29-of-96 (.302) for the season with runners on base...Tied for third on the team with 14 multi-hit games with four 3-hit games...Ranked third on the team with six multi-RBI games...Had a season-high three RBIs in the season opener at Auburn...Singled to drive in the tying run in the ninth inning in Sacramento State's 5-4 comeback win over No. 5 LSU...Was 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs, and two runs in a game against Utah Valley...Had five multi-hit games in a seven-game stretch April 27-May 7...Tied for the team lead with two triples...Was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts...Second on the team with four sacrifice flies...Team was 12-7 when he hit in the cleanup spot...Had two putouts defensively.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played four years for coach Rusty McDonald at El Dorado HS...Three-time all-Sierra Valley League selection and league MVP in 2015...Hit .598 as a senior with a state-high 57 RBIs...Led the entire country with 14 home runs and had a 1.218 slugging percentage...Named all-State, all-City, and all-Metro as a senior...Named to Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team...Earned American Family Insurance All-USA Performance of the Week award in 2015...Led team to two Sierra Valley League championships...Helped team go 22-6 in his senior year...Hit .452 with 16 extra-base hits and 30 RBIs in 2014...Hit .523 with 13 extra-base hits and 26 RBIs as a sophomore...Also played basketball for four years and was two-time all-Sierra Valley League.