Grant Smith not only hit eight homers last season but was one of the nation's best defensive players. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Shortstop Grant Smith had a historic 2023 season for Kentucky after transferring from Incarnate Word where he played three seasons. He set a school record with a .988 fielding percentage — a mark that UK coach Nick Mingione still believes should have earned him the Gold Glove given to the nation’s best shortstop — and also hit .281 in 61 starts with 58 hits, eight homers and a SEC leading 11 sacrifices.
Ironically, Smith never thought about defense being such a “huge piece” of a team’s success until last season.
“Being a shortstop I should have realized how special pitching and defense are and probably the most important aspect of a baseball team,” Smith, who was part of 34 double plays in 2023, said. “I think our defense this year has the potential to be the best in the country.
“I believe we are the best in the country. Me and Pete (second baseman Emilie Pitre) up the middle work every day to try and get better.”
How did a shortstop not think defense was that important?
“I guess obviously I knew defense was important. I trained every single day but I didn’t know the effects an elite defense could do for a team until last year,” Smith said. “Just every piece we had and how dynamic we were on defense I saw the results and I am motivated to achieve that again this year.”
Smith had offseason hip surgery but believes his speed has actually increased.
“I am just trying to get that quick twitch and fast first step working together after being down for a while. It has been a challenge but the results are good,” Smith said.
He said not being able to practice with the team during fall workouts was hard but he found other ways to help the team. Mingione said he did a little bit of everything during practice and scrimmage to help his teammates.
“Mentally it was just as hard as it was physically not being able to contribute to the team. I gained a little bit of a new perspective in that every time I take the field I am a little bit more grateful now after that down time,” he said. “Now that I am back on the field I am happy.”
Kentucky opens the season Friday in Spartanburg, S.C., against USC Upstate and Smith cannot wait.
“Our culture is just as good as it was last year and I think we can be just as good or better than last year,” Smith said.
Mingione knows Smith enhances that culture.
“He’s an amazing defender but you also learn a lot about somebody when things are not going their way. He had that offseason surgery but this fall served our team doing whatever he could every single day to help,” Mingione said. “We did our peer reviews and I asked who was the hardest worker on the team and who are you the proudest to be on the team with and first-year guys were voting for him. He’s just an amazing human being and he is primed and ready to have a special year.”
