Clarksville Academy infielder Cole Smith earns Clarksville Now Player of the Week honors

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Clarksville Academy infielder Cole Smith’s versatility on the plate earned him Clarksville Now Player of the Week honors for the week of March 21.

Let’s start with his efficient batting average and on-base percentage.

The Cougars began their week as the team traveled to Springfield High School to take on the Yellow Jackets. En route to the team’s 14-0 victory over Springfield, Smith went 3 for 3 from the plate with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored. After one contest, the junior infielder had already surpassed his hit total from the previous week.

Throughout the following two contests, Smith continued to take advantage of every opportunity at the plate and showcased his power surge. He went 3 of 5 between the two contests while driving in 7 RBI’s off of a double, a home run and 2 sac flies. Smith improved almost every statistical category from the previous week as seen in the image below. This included slashing a .750 batting average and a .677 on-base percentage.

Smith detailed that a priority at the plate was being able to hit the fastball, and he feels confident in the ability to hit the pitch. The player also mentioned the difference in his stance between the first and second week of action. “At the start of the year, I was standing straight up, and now I am into my legs more. With this stance transition, I feel as though I have gained more power and stability.”

Team overview

After this past week, Smith’s production has led him to lead the team in several statistical categories. These include hits, home runs, RBI’s, sacrifice flies and batting average.

Smith is not the only player who had a strong start at the plate for Clarksville Academy. As a team, the group is batting .413 overall with 29 total extra base hits.

The Cougars won 4 out of 5 games this past week, which extended their record to 6-1 in 2022. Their ability to produce on offense is one reason for the Cougars’ hot start to the month of March. The team currently averages 11.7 runs scored per game.

However, the Cougars’ defensive presence deserves just as much credit. Smith is part of a pitching rotation allowing 3.9 runs per game. That makes their margin of victory a total of 7.8 runs. This run difference is difficult for any team to overcome, so it will be interesting to see how the Cougars’ production on offense and defense progresses during the 2022 season.

Clarksville Academy is back in action on Monday, March 28, as they take on Goodpasture High.

Christian Brown, sports reporter for Clarksville Now, can be reached at cbrown@5starradio.com or at 931-648-7720.