RALEIGH, N.C. -- Derrick Smith has been nails for NC State for nearlytwo months. ThePack9 closer has regularly shut the door in critical situations to propel theteam to hosting a Raleigh Regional and now being one win away from a Super Regional berth with his brilliance at the end of game situations.
But it hasn't always been that way for D-Rock -- far from it, in fact.
Through the first month of the regular season, Derrick Smith was called upon multiple times in relief, but struggled to get outs. In fact,after his first two opportunities against ACC competition, Smith allowed a combined eight runs in just 1.2 innings of work to see his ERA balloon to 21.60 after just five total appearances.
Over the next several weeks, Smith has not only cut his ERA down bymore than three-fourths what it was at that point, but quietly been one of the best relievers in the country. A lot of that was due to the confidence and belief from Elliott Avent and the coaching staff, which continued to allow him to work through his early issues.
"The whole coaching staff believes in me. I believe in myself," Smith said. "I stay within myself and do it for my teammates. Build confidence and keep going from there."
Just pointing out the ERA is a disservice to D-Rock, though. His numbers overall are otherwordly dating back to hisfinal appearance in the Louisville series back on April 7. Since that series finale, Smith has made 12 appearances with a combined 16 innings pitches, allowing just one run to compile an absurd 0.56 ERA over that stretch.
He's been able to accomplish that with a fastball living in the mid-90s and a devastating slider that has made even the best hitters miss all season. Speaking of misses, Smith has a 15.75 strikeouts-per-nine (K/9) rate with a .058 batting average against and .325 OPS against over that aforementioned 12-game stretch, according to our stat wizard Bryan Pyrtle.
With the way he's closed the season, Avent confirmed Smith has been invited to pitch for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. So what has changed for Smith in the last two months?
"Nothing has really changed, just opportunity," Avent said. "He worked his butt off this summer. He pitched three innings last year here at NC State. I don't know where he is at now. It's all the hard work he's put in. I'm talking about the way he eats, in the weight room, what he did this summer.
"All that has given him the makeup of who he is right now. That's why he's able to handle situations like this."
On Saturday night, the moment was bigger than its ever been this season for D-Rock -- and he matched it.
With the Pack9 takinga 5-4lead in the seventh, Smith came in with one out in the eighth against the heart of the South Carolina lineup. His first assignment Cole Messina, who came in as one of the hottest hitters on the planet with five of his 21 overall homers in his previous six games. Smith went slider, slider, slider to strike him out swinging.
He then carved up Kennedy Jones, who had a long ball against James Madison the previous game, to close out the eighth. He struck out two more batters in the ninth to close the deal with another scoreless outing -- his 15th of the season. On a night where the ball was carrying to the tune of six total home runs between the two teams, Smith emphatically shut the door by being virtually unhittable.
"For me it was picking up my teammate Coop[er Consiglio]," Smith said. "Going to do what he started. Believing in myself, staying in myself and doing my job."
Smith's 1.2 innings pitched also helped to save the rest of the bullpen arms in the event that the Wolfpack needs to play two more games if it loses to South Carolina on Sunday. With the Gameco*cks needing to win three straight just to advance and already using up several quality arms, he put State in an ideal situation heading into Sunday night.
And if the Pack9 needs to close the door again to advance to a Super Regional, D-Rock will be ready to deliver again.
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