Kermit Smith, Appalachian State Mountaineers

Kermit Smith named the 13th head baseball coach at Appalachian State Mountaineers on July 14, 2016.

In Smith’s first year, the Appalachian State Mountaineers finished with 19 wins and taking a key victory against nationally ranked Louisiana on March 18. Appalachian improved in many facets of the game in just year one under Smith, having the most home runs and walks since 2012, lowest team ERA since 2014 and most strikeouts from the mound since 2010.

A 15-year head coaching veteran, Smith spent seven years at Lander (2009-16), where he was the winningest coach in program history with an overall 244-134 (.645) record. He took the Bearcats to four Peach Belt Conference (PBC) tournaments and three NCAA tournaments over the past five years. With 16 signees overall, Smith had 12 student-athletes sign contracts with Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliates while at Lander, including a program record, four, in 2016.

The Bearcats have advanced to the NCAA Division II College World Series twice in the last three seasons, including a second time in 2016, finishing the season with a 44-16 record. The Bearcats finished the season ranked No. 3 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, the highest finish in program history and Smith was named ABCA/Diamond Southeast Regional Coach of the Year.

Smith set a program record for wins in a season during the 2014 campaign when the Bearcats finished 52-8 overall and ended the season with a No. 4 ranking in the Collegiate Baseball poll, while garnering the nation’s most prolific offense, leading Division II in home runs and runs scored. The Bearcats won the Southeast Regional and advanced to their first College World Series.

Among the highlights of the 2014 season, the Bearcats finished 27-3 on their home field (Dolny Stadium) and Smith was awarded PBC Coach of the Year and Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, while freshman pitcher Brandon White was named PBC Freshman of the Year.

The Bearcats posted back-to-back 30-win campaigns in 2012 (38 wins) and 2013 (35 wins) for the first time since the 2005-06 seasons. Under Smith in 2012, junior pitcher Chris Thomas won the PBC Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first Bearcat to ever receive a postseason conference award. In addition, Smith’s 38 wins during the 2012 season broke the program record for wins in a season and led the team to its ...