Austin Peay State University Athletics

Awards and Honors
Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, 2014
1st Team All-OVC (UTIL), 2014
OVC All-Freshman Team, 2014
adidas® OVC Player of the Week, Feb. 17, 2014
Selected in 29th round (861st overall) of 2013 MLB Draft by Cleveland

Career Recap: Austin Peay
As a junior in 2016

• Saw action in all 57 games during the season. Started 52 contests at four different positions during the season: catcher (21), third base (23), left field (5) and right field (3). Finished season batting .294 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI.
• Had two long reached-base safely streaks during the season. An 18-game stretch (Feb. 28-April 1) and a season-ending 20-game streak (April 24-May 28). In the latter streak, batting .352 and posted a .495 on-base percentage thanks to 19 walks.
• Opening 18-game reached safely streak coincided with solid opening to campaign that saw him bat .321 with eight home runs and 24 RBI in season’s first 24 games.
• Enjoyed impressive May that saw him bat .364 with two home runs and 13 RBI. Earning 15 walks (.500 on-base percentage) and struck out only twice in 70 plate appearances.
• His batting line in the regular-season finale against Oklahoma, May 21, was an odd 1-for-1 with two RBI and four runs scored. After entering the game as a pinch runner and scoring, stayed in as an outfielder. Walked twice and hit a two-run home run in his three plate appearances.
• Batted .444 during the OVC Baseball Championship with two doubles and four RBI while not striking out in 21 plate appearances. Opened tournament with 4-for-5 performance against Belmont, May 25, followed by a two-hit outing against Jacksonville State and one hit each in Govs final two games of tourney.

As a sophomore in 2015

• Started 47 games in 48 appearances, again making starts at catcher (29), third base (12) and right field (six). Finished season with .339 batting average, team-best 16 doubles, 30 RBI, 26 walks (.424 on-base percentage) and 13 stolen bases.
• Batted .300 in OVC play with two home runs and 18 RBI, but showed off plate discipline with 18 walks against 13 strikeouts (.403 on-base percentage).
• Finished season with career-best 10-game hit streak, batting .341 (15-for-44) with six RBI. That streak came after he moved into the leadoff spot, April 11. He recorded a hit in 16 of his 18 games as the leadoff hitter, batting .392 with 16 walks (7 strikeouts) and a .500 on-base percentage.
• Named Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player of the Week, April 20, after batting .705 (12-for-17) and posting a .773 on-base percentage during the previous week.
• Earlier in the season had an impressive eight-game hit streak with 16 hits (.533 batting average). Notched first career five-hit game during the streak, going 5-for-5 with two RBI in Eastern Kentucky series opener, April 17.
• Had only two home runs during the season, both coming against Tennessee Tech, March 29.

As a freshman in 2014

• Became first freshman to earn First-Team All-OVC honors since A.J. Ellis’ freshman campaign in 2000.
• Appeared and started in 55 games for the Govs in 2014, appearing in left field (31 starts), catcher (9), third base (12) and designated hitter (3) and hit .310 with six home runs and stole 11 bases.
• Led team with 15 doubles, 44 RBI and nine outfield assists – his nine outfield assists ranked fourth among Division I outfielders.
• In OVC games batted .319 with 22 RBI.
• Finished season with 20 multihit games, including five three-hit games and two four-hit games and also led team with 14 multi-RBI outings, including five 3-RBI efforts.
• Recorded second four-hit game against UT Martin, May 12, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and a double.
• Posted 4-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored against Middle Tennessee, April 23.
• Went 2-for-4 with three RBI, a double, a home run against Eastern Illinois, March 15.
• Had team-high four game winning RBI, including walk off hits against Evansville, March 26, and UT Martin, May 11.
• Opened career by earning adidas®  OVC Player of the Week honors, Feb. 17, after opening season going 6-for-10 with three doubles and seven RBI in Iowa series, Feb. 15-16.

Career Recap: Germantown HS

• As a senior, batted .473 with 10 doubles, five home runs and 28 RBI, compiling a .839 slugging percentage
• First-Team All-Class AAA selection by Tennessee Sports Writers Association
• First-Team Tennessee Baseball Report All-State selection
• Was a first-team All-State pick by the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association
• A 2013 Rawlings Southeast Region honorable mention selection by Perfect Game
• Named to Commercial Appeal All-Metro team each of final three seasons
• Named a TBCA Super Sophomore in 2011 and was selected to TBCA Showcase Team after sophomore and junior campaigns
• Played under head coach Casey Callaway, a former Governor pitcher.

Personal

• Ridge Davidson Smith is the son of Jeff and Sonya Smith
• Born April 26
• Has two brothers, Colin and Payne
• A health and human performance major with a concentration in health.