With the 771st pick in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year draft, the Cleveland Indians selected Ouachita Baptist senior pitcher Steve Smith, who became the first-ever Ouachita Baptist baseball player drafted, Friday.
Smith, a 6-foot right-handed pitcher from of Texarkana, Ark., went 10-1 this past season with a 2.00 ERA in helping the Tigers to a 51-16 record, including being named the NCAA Division II College World Series Most Valuable Player.
His biggest came in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament with a 14-strikeout performance against Southern Arkansas, including fanning the final batter in a 5-2 win against the Muleriders. Smith went 1-0 in the region tournament with a save and added to his resume with a 1-0 mark in two appearances at the World Series.
Smith, who had 143 strikeouts this season and 313 for his four-year career, had garnered several honors this season, including Honorable Mention All-American, All-Gulf South Conference First Team, All-South Central Region Tournament Team and Daktrontics All-South Central Region First Team.
