Click here to see Eddie Smith Talk About Bronco Baseballand What Baseball Means To Him
Eddie Smith enters his second season as an assistant coach withSanta Clara. A former player at Notre Dame and assistantcoach at the University of Virginia, Smith leads the day-to-daydevelopment of position players and plays a large role in therecruiting efforts for the program.
In Smith’s first season on the Mission campus, the Broncoswon 26games - nine more than in 2011 The Bronco offenseexploded to lead the conference in stolen bases and finished secondin home runs, slugging more than twice as many home runs as theyear before. Santa Clara also won the conference title forfielding percentage and Bronco infielders committed just 27 errorsthe entire season.
Smith arrived at Santa Clara after spending five seasons at theUniversity of Virginia. In three years as an assistant coachhe was part of the greatest era in the history of VirginiaBaseball.
The Cavaliers reached the College World Series in both 2009 and'11, captured ACC Championships in all three seasons and averaged52 wins per season - more than any other program in the country inthat time. In addition, the Cavaliers took the field rankedas the No. 1 team in the country in 45 percent of the games theyplayed while Smith was an assistant coach.
Smith also served as the Director of Baseball Operations forVirginia for two seasons before being promoted to being anassistant coach. In five years at Virginia, the Cavaliersreached the NCAA tournament each season and had 34 players selectedin the Major League Draft - 17 in the top 10 rounds and two firstround picks.
Smith's career in baseball is highlighted by winning at everylevel. A native of Olympia, Wash., where he helped North ThurstonHigh School to a state championship and 24-0 record in 2002.
Following high school, he attended Centralia Community Collegein Centralia, Wash., where he helped the Blazers set a schoolrecord in wins in 2004 as he led the team in hitting and was namedan all-league player. In 2012 he was inducted into theCentralia College Hall of Fame.
Smith concluded his playing career as an infielder at theUniversity of Notre Dame where the Irish won two BIG EASTchampionships and appeared in two NCAA Regionals in his twoseasons.
In 2006 Smith graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Spanish.
He also served as the head coach for the North Thurston HighSchool Legion team in 2004 and the assistant camp director at theUniversity of Notre Dame in 2006.
