Tag: Morgan Smith

After a big week, Morgan Smith gets Big Ten softball honors

Morgan Smith got Big Ten weekly softball honors.

After another stellar week, Rutgers star Morgan Smith added some new hardware to her trophy case on Monday; The Senior Scarlet Knight was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week. As Rutgers continued to pile up wins, Smith was a hits machine.

In five games, the Phoenix native posted a .500 batting average while driving in 16 runs. She also showed some power with four home runs as Rutgers recorded a series victory over Maryland for the second straight year. However, her impact was not only felt at the plate; she was also stellar on the mound.

Against two Big Ten teams, Nebraska and Maryland, Smith struck out six batters. While she struggled against Nebraska, she earned the win against Maryland, ending her three-game losing streak. Regardless of the situation, Smith found a way to excel.

T4 | 👑⚔️ Morgan Smith ⚔️👑#GoRU #RUSB #Team50 pic.twitter.com/Rea1V0dArS

— Rutgers Softball (@RUSoftball) April 10, 2024

Additionally, the former Pinnacle High School star made history. Against Maryland, Smith surpassed Jackie Bates (2015) as RU’s single-season RBIs leader. Through 44 games, she has driven 63 runs and has shown no signs of slowing down. For the Scarlet Knights, that has been a welcome sign.

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While the season is far from over, Rutgers has been popular in the weekly awards. Smith is the latest Scarlet Knight to win one, joining Katie Wingert and Mattie Boyd. As long as Smith continues to build on her success, more hardware could be on the horizon.

Rutgers softball: Morgan Smith making an impact at the plate and on the mound

Rutgers softball is off to a solid start this season.

Through the first few weeks of the 2024 softball campaign, Rutgers has gotten off to an impressive 21-15 start. While Rutgers has gotten contributions from throughout the lineup, Morgan Smith has been vital to their success. The Phoenix native has been an on-base machine and is on pace to have a career year.

In 116 at-bats, Smith has posted a .422 batting average and driven in 42 runs. She has also shown some power with four doubles and 13 home runs. Before the 2024 campaign, Smith had never hit more than five home runs in a season.

E4 | Swing and miss — Morgan Smith leaving a pair of Boilermakers in scoring position with her 3rd K of the day#GoRU #RUSB #Team50 pic.twitter.com/jEOHyuTzgY

— Rutgers Softball (@RUSoftball) March 29, 2024

While the talented senior has been a force at the plate, she is also making an impact on the mound. In 21 appearances, Smith has posted a 3.00 ERA and set a new career-high in strikeouts with 69. Smith has already thrown 33.8 innings more than last year, but she has shown she can handle the workload.

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Although the season is far from over, it has been hard to ignore Smith’s play. She leads Rutgers in batting average, home runs, hits, and triples. That is no easy feat, especially considering the 2024 campaign is over a month old.

After proving that she could hold her own offensively last year with a .357 batting average in 57 games, Smith has taken her game to another level. For Rutgers it has been a welcome sign as Smith’s impact at the plate has sparked the offense.

Kyleigh Sand & Morgan Smith earn All-Region honors

Some bog honors have rolled in for Rutgers softball.

For Rutgers softball, the 2023 season ended in disappointing fashion with a loss to Ohio State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. While their focus has shifted to the 2024 campaign, the past few months have been full of unforgettable moments. Many of those were provided by Kyleigh Sand and Morgan Smith, who were honored for their stellar play on May 18th.

Sand was named First Team All-Great Lakes Region and Smith was named Second Team All-Great Lakes Region. For the Scarlet Knights duo, their achievement comes as no surprise to those in Piscataway.

Last week’s announcement marked the second straight year Sand became a first-team all-region honoree. During the 2023 campaign, she was a force offensively. The California native led Rutgers in stolen bases with 26, triples with three, and runs with 54. Her dominance did not stop there; she ranked ninth in the Big Ten in batting average and second in hits with 71.

While Sand thrived in the infield, Smith a force in the outfield. The LSU transfer led Rutgers with 46 RBIs while posting a .357 batting average. She also gave Rutgers a boost in the field, as she only committed one error and recorded 92 putouts. She made an immediate impact and became a crucial part of Rutgers success.

Due to the contributions from Sand and Smith, Rutgers won 32 games, its highest total since 1994.  They will be looking to build on their success next spring and continue to rewrite the program’s record book.

 

 

Rutgers spring athletic shifts focus to 2024, baseball prepares for tournament play

The playoffs have already provided exciting moments for the Scarlet Knights but have also been full of heartbreak.

With summer on the horizon, all of Rutgers spring athletics have shifted their focus to 2024 except for baseball, which still has two games left in the regular season. The playoffs have already provided exciting moments for the Scarlet Knights but have also been full of heartbreak.

Women’s lacrosse shocked the world by beating a higher seed in John Hopkins in their first playoff game before falling to Maryland. Men’s lacrosse and softball did not have the same luck, as they both suffered early playoff exits.

Over the next few weeks, Rutgers fans will shift their focus to baseball, with the season finale set for this Saturday. After that, the Scarlet Knights will begin their playoff run and would be the fifth seed if the season ended on Friday. They have thrived against Big Ten teams lately, which is a good sign.

As the Scarlet Knights look to make a deep playoff run, there still should be a few unforgettable moments left in a 2023 campaign that has been a rollercoaster ride.

Check out what is going on with spring sports around Rutgers!

Teams to watch at the USGA Women’s Amateur Four-Ball include Stanford mid-ams, pair of 14-year-olds and a bomber who nearly advanced through U.S. Open local qualifying

Match play begins on Monday with the Round of 32.

History was made at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball as seven teams shared medalist honors at stroke-play qualifying. That’s the most for any USGA championship, surpassing the six players who medaled at the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Bandon Dunes.

During an unseasonably warm and windy day at The Home Course in DuPont, Washington, the seven sides finished at 11-under 133 to top a crowded leaderboard. A total of 32 teams advanced to match play, with an 8-for-5 playoff moving into a Monday finish.

Defending champs Thienna Huynh, 19, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Sara Im, 18, of Duluth, Georgia, carried their momentum into 2023 as they shared medalist honors thanks to a nine-hole record of 30 on the front nine.

Thienna Huynh and Sara Im at the medalist ceremony during the the second round of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. on Sunday, May 14, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)

Match play begins on Monday with the Round of 32. With the NCAA Championship being held this week in Arizona, few college players were able to qualify for the event due to scheduling. That leaves a number of hotshot teen tandems in the field. In fact, there were 18 players in the field this week between the ages of 12 and 15.

Two teams of 14-year-olds advanced.

Here are five more teams to watch heading into match play:

Morgan Smith is providing a spark in the batter’s box and on the mound

Rutgers softball is getting a major impact from transfer Morgan Smith.

Through the first 20 games of the 2023 campaign, Rutgers softball has been one of the best teams in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights have gotten off to a 16-4 start and won five of their last six games. During their impressive start, Morgan Smith has been crucial to their success.

A transfer from LSU, Smith has been a revelation for Rutgers.

In 59 at-bats, Smith has 20 runs batted in and a team-leading six doubles. She has added two home runs to her resume and is one of three Scarlet Knights with 20 or more hits. So far, the Phoenix, AX native has proven to be a sparkplug offensively.

Additionally, she has been a threat when she gets on base with four stolen bases. Only Kyleigh Sand has more, with 21. Rutgers ability to steal bases has helped put pressure on their opponents. So far this season, they have stolen 44 bases and have only been caught five times. Smith has been a big part of that.

When the talented Junior is not in the batter’s box, she has also made a difference on the mound. In 26.1 innings of work, she has posted a 2.13 ERA. So far this season, the Pinnacle High School product has struck out 24 batters and allowed one home run.

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While the season is far from over, Smith has been a bright spot. Her value lies in her ability to impact a game, whether she is in the batter’s box or on the mound. She will be an important piece as the Scarlet Knights look to continue their success.

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Watch: Rutgers landed a dominant softball transfer in Morgan Smith

Morgan Smith is an important addition for Rutgers softball.

Morgan Smith has joined Rutgers softball this week, giving the Scarlet Knights a player who can make an impact both as a pitcher but also as an outfielder.

The former LSU star stood out last season as a sophomore.

In 2020 as a high school senior, Morgan was the No. 28 player in the nation according to FloSports.

Last season as a pitcher, she went 2-0. Throughout her college career. Morgan has appeared in 38 games, going 11-of-42 from the plate (she was 10-for-33 last season including two home runs).

She joins Rutgers via the transfer portal with two seasons if eligibility remaining:

 

In 2022, Rutgers women’s softball showed some flashes as they continued to lay a foundation in what has been an extensive rebuilding of the program. The Scarlet Knights went 25-30 (3-17 Big Ten).

They were one of the most-improved programs in the nation from the year before when they went 8-36 (all in Big Ten play).

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Head coach Kristen Butler has been with Rutgers softball for five seasons. She is a former SEC standout at Florida.

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LSU softball drops first game in Tempe Regional, will face elimination on Saturday

The Tigers will look to keep their season alive on Saturday after a 10-5 loss to open the postseason.

The Tigers headed out to the desert this weekend looking to emerge victorious while playing on the road at the Tempe Regional to open the NCAA Tournament. But after a 10-5 Game 1 loss against the San Diego State Aztecs, LSU’s stay in the postseason could be brief as it faces an elimination game on Saturday.

Much of this game was a back-and-forth affair, but it was bookended by poor play from the Tigers. [autotag]Ali Kilponen[/autotag] got the start at pitcher in this one, but she allowed a pair of one-run homers in the first as her team fell behind early.

The Tigers got their answer in the form of a two-run homer from [autotag]Morgan Smith[/autotag] in the bottom of the second to even the game, but a trio of base hits and a fielding error led to three Aztec runs to open the third as the deficit grew for LSU.

Once again, though, it had an answer. [autotag]Ali Newland[/autotag] came up clutch with a three-run homer in the bottom of that inning to tie the game at five runs apiece, and it looked like we were heading to a thrilling finish.

That’s not exactly how it played out, though. The Tigers swapped pitchers, and [autotag]Shelbi Sunseri[/autotag] allowed a run to score on a wild pitch before giving up a two-run blast as LSU found itself down three once again.

Unlike before, it had no answer. It couldn’t get much going on offense down the stretch and squandered the opportunities it did have, stranding runners in the fifth and seventh innings. SDSU added to its lead after an error in the sixth and another homer allowed by Sunseri in the seventh as it completed the upset.

The Tigers will play an elimination game on Saturday against the loser of the matchup between regional host Arizona State and four-seeded California State Fullerton. They will try to keep their season alive as they face a do-or-die situation after just one game.

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