The University of Mississippi Athletics
CATCHING UP WITH: Seth Smith
2/8/2006 | Baseball
Feb. 8, 2006
OXFORD, Miss. - In 2002, Seth Smith came to Ole Miss and quickly served notice the the Southeastern Conference and the nation that Rebel baseball was on the rise as he was named a Freshman All-America selection his first year on the diamond in the Red and Blue. Three short years later, the Terry, Miss., native was drafted by the Colorado Rockies and moved on to the professional ranks after leaving his mark on the Rebel program. Recently, Smith sat down and talked about his experiences since being drafted by the Rockies organization.
Q: Where are you playing now?
A: I report to Tucson on March 10, and then will go to Tulsa, Oklahoma and play for the Rockies double A organization.
Q: What are the differences between the professional ranks and the collegiate game?
A: It's nice, but it's a lot more like a business. You have to get the job done off the field and prepare a lot on your own. No one is there to tell you how to prepare or stay on you about doing what you need to do. You play everyday, and that's a lot different than college. One of the biggest differences is if you have a bad game, you don't have to wait three or four days to get back on the field and put it behind you like you do in college. You get to get back out there immediately and get that bad taste out of your mouth.
Q: Do you like the professional ball-player life or do you miss the college life?
A: One of the biggest things is that there is no practice, you just play every day. That can get old. It's nice to have all morning to do whatever you want to do. In college there's not much time to have a life. On this level, there is not worrying about school and class work. But the drawback is you can be at the park all day. You get there at 11 a.m. and might not leave until 11 that night.
Q: Do you have any specific goals for this season?
A: Basically, I just want to go out and take care of business every day I get to play. If I can play my best and play baseball at a high level, that's all I can control. It's in the hands of the management from there. If they think I am playing well enough, then they will move me up.
Q: Do you keep up with the Rebels and did you watch their run through the Super Regionals in 2005?
A: There are some guys on the team I talk to from time to time. I watched the Super Regional on ESPN back last spring. I'm ready to get back up to Oxford before I head out west and watch the guys play. I'm really looking forward to this season for Ole Miss.
Q: Where were you last season and how was that experience?
A: I was playing out in California with the Modesto Nuts. It was a lot different out on the west coast near San Francisco. I am definitely a Southeast kind of guy. It was a great experience though, because I had a great host family and teammates. It made the season seem to go a lot quicker and smoother.
Last season, Smith played for the Modesto Nuts in the Colorado Rockies' organization. While with the Nuts, Smith had a stellar season, hitting .300 in 129 games. His 129 games was more appearances than any other player on the roster and he was second in batting average for any player who appeared in more than 100 games. Smith had nine home runs and drove in 72 runs. He also scored 87 runs in that time.
