BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA —
Jake Smith is a lifetime Opelika Bulldog, and that’s how he’ll always remember his days on the field.
He has been playing baseball and football at Opelika since he stepped in the middle school in seventh grade, and his career ended with a First-Team All-State Selection from the Alabama Sports Writers Association for his senior season.
“To go out that way was just honestly awesome,” Smith said. “There was no other way I’d want to go out than to be a Bulldog and provide for my team as much as I did because I love those boys back home so much. I just love the high school and middle school experience that I got, and I wouldn’t want to end it with anyone else than the guys I grew up with.”
In his senior year, Smith led the team from the backstop and the DH position and led his team in almost every major statistical category offensively. He led the club with a .413 average, .509 on-base percentage, four homers, five triples and a .739 slugging percentage.
A big factor that Smith attributed his success to was a more relaxed approach at the plate. As one of four seniors on the team, he knew he had a chance to be a leader and to be a positive influence on the guys around him in the order.
“I realized that (the seniors) all had to step up, and I knew I could play a major role in that, offensively, because I knew one of my biggest attributes to the team was hitting,” Smith said. “I just realized that this is probably going to be my last year of baseball so I might as well enjoy it, have fun and be relaxed at the plate.”
Along with what Smith brought on the field, he posted on the upside of a 4.0 GPA, was an OHS emissary and a member of the National Honors Society. His athletics career is coming to an end, but Smith will advance his educational journey at Auburn University studying civil engineering starting in the fall.
“He was a great player to have in our program and was a three-year starter,” said Opelika head baseball coach Zach Blatt. “He always showed up to work with a great attitude and set the example of what an Opelika baseball player should be.”