On October 28, Cochise College right-handed pitcher Collin Smith announced his commitment to South Carolina.
Smith spoke with World Baseball Network about what went into his decision to commit to the Gamecocks over everybody.
“Coach [Paul] Mainieri, Coach [Terry] Rooney, and Coach Gordo [Chris Gordon] were awesome,” Smith said. “It’s a historic program with a lot of winning tradition. I also saw a lot of similarities between South Carolina and Cochise.”
Smith also mentioned that South Carolina “just felt right.”
In 2025, Smith had a great season at the junior college level for the Cochise Apaches.
He had a 3.56 ERA, an 8-3 record, and 92 strikeouts in 86 innings of work. Smith also gained experience starting on the mound and coming out of the bullpen. He made six starts and recorded five saves in 2025.
The right-hander talked about his big season playing JUCO in the state of Arizona for Cochise.
“Coming into Cochise, I honestly didn’t know how things would go,” Smith stated. “It was great to finally compete against good players every day. I started out as a reliever. I’d pitch multiple times a weekend. They asked a lot of me, and I loved it.”
Smith also mentioned that pitching in high-leverage spots helped him improve and get noticed as the season went on.
Smith also talked about what kinds of things he is improving before pitching for the Gamecocks.
“I’m focused on putting on more weight,” the JUCO pitcher said. “Division I weight rooms are a whole different level, so showing up with more physicality will help.”
Putting physicality on a six-foot-seven-inch frame is something that can turn Smith into a fearsome SEC pitcher in Columbia.
NCAA News: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Courtesy of Collin Smith
