Piedmont, AL – Piedmont’s Smith completes one adventure, is on the way to another, signing up to play softball at Jacksonville State.
By Joe Medley
Savannah Smith has lived the life of a younger sibling to two brothers who are highly successful. If she ever would like to look at decorated walls, she can stroll down the hall.
It was an ability to make her desire to create her own mark and she did it on paper on Thursday. “Baby Gronk,” as her brothers call her, was the official beginning of her career as an NCAA Division I athlete.
Smith has confirmed her intention to softball and play for Jacksonville State University. Just like her mother in softball, and dad during football her, she’ll become a Gamecock.
“I am the one with bragging rights, now in the words of Sean Sloan and Sean Sloan,” Savannah Smith laughed.
She’ll follow the path of her mother and head coach at her high school who was the former Rachel Stone, who played for JSU between 1994 and 1996. Rachel Smith was a senior in the first year of Jax State’s existence to qualify to play in an entry into the Division I NCAA Tournament.
Her father, Steve, lettered in football at Jax State from 1989-91, just prior to the school’s transition to Division II.
Savannah Smith announced her commitment to Jax State on July 13 shortly after she had completed her senior season with Piedmont. She hit .458 with an .525 on-base percentage 6 home runs, six triples 18 doubles with 40 RBIs. In the field, she was 14-5, with two saves, having a 1.43 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings pitched.
She was named the All-Calhoun Class 1A 3A Player of the Year in County and Piedmont has had the first three state tournament appearances during the fastpitch time as a starting pitcher.
Savannah Smith is a three-time Alabama Sports Writers Association all-state selection. She was also recently named the homecoming queen of Piedmont.
Similar to the walls in her brothers’ rooms the walls of hers were filled quickly. Rachel Smith borrowed some pictures to put in her daughter’s lit-up memorabilia display. It was placed right on her Piedmont High School gymnasium lobby from the main table on Thursday.
Jonathan Miller, hired as the director of Piedmont’s athletics and football head coach following Steve Smith left for the same position in Westbrook Christian, led off the ceremony with a brief speech that resembled the one Savannah Smith’s dad delivered at Piedmont signing ceremonies for 17 years.
Miller brought up the commonly mentioned statistics … Seven percentage of high school athletes are college athletes, while 2 percent progress up to Division I.
As the room was digesting the figures, Savannah Smith put pen on the paper. Pictures were taken, beginning with her parents who were seated right next to Savannah, dressed with Jax State gear. Her brothers followed, after which came extended family, coaches and teammates.
Her journey engulfed the room in the form of those who are familiar with the quiet areas.
“No anyone knows the amount of hours she’s put into her skills, except for me and her, and her immediate family members,” Rachel Smith said. “Just to look at the effort that she’s shown and the sacrifices she’s made because she’s missed lots of activities with her friends, and, occasionally, at school, she’s missed social events as well as softball tournaments. The amount of time she’s devoted to is something to be admired. This is for certain.”
Rachel Smith recalled a conversation during her daughter’s early double-digits, in which she laid out the steps to take forward.
“I told you”This isn’t going to be my ideal to do for you. This is the thing you want for yourself”” Rachel Smith said.
Mom has goals sheets Savannah Smith filled out in those days … short-term goals such as throwing a changeup confidently at a speed of 55 mph and taking no hits, with a 0-2 count; as well as long-term goals such as earning an academic scholarship to college or going to World Series at College World Series.
“She’s always been that way But,” Rachel Smith said. “I’ve acquired a lot of things dating back to when she attended kindergarten, and she had goals written on her own.”
Savannah Smith also got lots of pushing from her brothers. This was due to the difficult snowball fights at the family home when mom and dad were away. It was a result of contests such as “Death Pong,”” where the loser has to change their position and then take the best ping-pong shot at the back.
They called them “Baby Gronk” following the fact that Piedmont was the winner of last year’s Calhoun County softball tournament. She was able to catch a small throw for the last out and spiked the ball in the manner of the former NFL tight-end Rob Gronkowski.
“I think I’ve done an okay job of “Gronk” on the song,” she said.
It’s not all the sibling rivalries or gentle criticism. While filling their letterman jackets with exploits in baseball and football, Sean and Sloan made themselves available to Savannah.
“They’re truly the ones who helped me the most, and who have pushed me to be better,” Savannah said. “They are always around. If I needed someone to help me get to the cage One of them was always willing to. If I needed one them to snare the bullpen I had they would. One was always present even if they had to take a few off the shins.
“They will always be there smiling with a smile on their faces.”
It’s not a bad thing to have parents who are coaches for an income.
“I’m very happy and, most importantly I’m thankful for the friendship and love I’ve received from my family throughout the decades,” Savannah Smith said. “I don’t know how much money they’ve put into me and my sport and the accommodation in hotels and gas to drive to tournaments. We’ve travelled across the country.
“I am not in the position I am today without them and today is an awful lot to them and I’d prefer to dedicate this day much more than me.”
