• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Sunday, September 24, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

‘Deceptive speed’ gives outfielder a defensive edge

by MSR News Online
May 22, 2014
59
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

SOECharlesHallmansquare

 

 

 

 

- ADVERTISEMENT -

 

 

 

There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2013-14 school and sports year, the MSR will highlight these players.

This week: Gopher outfielder Jordan Smith

- ADVERTISEMENT -

 

Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith
 Smith at bat Photo by Charles Hallman
Smith at bat Photo by Charles Hallman

If there were such an award, Jordan Smith would be the hands-down winner this season for MVP — most versatile player honors — on the Gophers baseball team. The redshirt freshman from Eden Prairie, Minnesota has played all three outfield positions.

“He’s an outstanding defender out there,” assessed Coach John Anderson. “He’s a glider out there — it doesn’t look like he’s going full speed. There’s not a lot of effort that goes into it, but he gets a great jump on the ball and closes on the ball very well.”

In last weekend’s series at Indiana, Smith “robbed” two Hoosier batters of extra base hits — one by a diving catch in a game in which he also went two-for-four at the plate, and again later when he snatched down a home-run ball with a leaping catch off the wall.

“I wouldn’t say [what is] my least favorite [position], but I played center field for the first time in a while [earlier this season], and now it’s probably my favorite position,” said Smith on the part of the outfield with the most ground to cover. “The ball is coming right at you, so it’s a little easier to track it as well. Left and right are pretty similar.”

- ADVERTISEMENT -

“He has deceptive speed,” said his coach.

Fourth-seeded Minnesota begins play on Wednesday in the Big Ten baseball tournament in Lincoln, Neb. against fifth-seeded Michigan. “We have been playing pretty well lately,” said Smith.

Sitting out last year helped Smith — it allowed him to watch and learn. “The outfield last year was mostly upperclassmen, a lot of older guys, and I learned a lot from them,” he recalled.

“He’s a fun young man to coach. He keeps a good learning attitude and doesn’t get frustrated when things don’t go his way,” noted Anderson, adding that Smith’s plate mechanics is improving as well. “Now he’s trying to learn how to handle quality pitching and put together a good plan and approach, and how to make some adjustments on the run.”

This year he got to play on Siebert Field’s new turf. “They tried to get it as close to [natural] grass as possible,” assessed Smith. “When they groomed it, it’s pretty bouncy. But once it gets matted down a little bit, it plays pretty much like a natural grass surface.”

- ADVERTISEMENT -

He added that he’s gotten faster since being in college: “Actually, I was pretty slow in high school. Since I got here, I gained some speed. I have no idea how that happened. Right now I am just focusing on tracking the ball and putting a good swing on the ball,” said Smith, who is second on the team in drawing walks and had an 18-game on-base streak.

Asked later about Smith’s “getting faster” comments, Anderson responded, “He didn’t play a lot [of baseball] in high school, and he’s still learning. Once he gets a little more experience, there’s no telling where that young man may end up one day,” said the longtime Gopher coach.

 

Read the “Only One” report and photo gallery from last weekend’s NCAA softball regionals in “Sports Odds and Ends Extra” on the MSR website.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com. 

To see more stories by Charles Hallman stories click HERE

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

This Week’s Entertainment Spotlights

Next Post

MSR’s ‘Only One’ at the NCAA softball regionals

MSR News Online

Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.

You Might Also Like

60th anniversary of Birmingham church bombing unites families of victims and perpetrators
Opinion

Four Little Girls

Blue Line extension planning moves forward after two key votes
Local

Blue Line extension planning moves forward after two key votes

Compton's Finest
Arts & Culture

Fall into new jazz releases

Black Business Spotlight: Thoroughbred Moving and Installation
Black Business Spotlight

Black Business Spotlight: Thoroughbred Moving and Installation

Comcast donates free WiFi access to four Twin Cities nonprofits to increase digital opportunities in the region
Local

Comcast donates free WiFi access to four Twin Cities nonprofits to increase digital opportunities in the region

Two new early vote centers open in Minneapolis
Local

Early voting begins Sept. 22 for local elections

Next Post

MSR’s ‘Only One’ at the NCAA softball regionals

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
September 12 @ 6:30 pm-December 18 @ 9:30 pm Recurring

Vic Volare Presents MUSIC FOR MARTINIS ft: Vic’s Fabulous Nightclub Academy

Sep 25
6:30 pm-8:30 pm

Community Roundtable with Ayodele Casel and Torya Beard

Sep 26
7:00 pm-9:00 pm

Climate and Equity in Minneapolis: What we could win in this year’s budget

Sep 27
8:00 am-12:45 pm

It’s Time to Talk: Forums on Race™

View Calendar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Read our latest e-Edition!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: