Michele Smith (softball)

{{short description|American softball player}} {{other people|Michelle Smith}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|6|21}} | birth_place = Califon, New Jersey, U.S. | sport = Softball | collegeteam = Oklahoma State Cowgirls | alma_mater = Oklahoma State University (1989) | headercolor = darkorange }} {{MedalTableTop | name = no | medals = {{MedalSport | Women's softball }} {{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }} {{MedalGold | 1996 Atlanta | Team competition }} {{MedalGold | 2000 Sydney | Team competition }} }}

'''Michele Mary Smith''' (born June 21, 1967) is an American, former collegiate All-American, two-time medal-winning Olympian, international professional left-handed hitting fastpitch softball pitcher and current sports commentator, originally from Califon, New Jersey. Smith played her college career for the Oklahoma State Cowgirls for the years 1986–89, where she set numerous records in the now defunct Big Eight Conference. She is also a double Olympic Softball gold medalist with Team USA, having played in the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.<ref name=bio>{{cite web |url=http://www.michelesmith.com/bio/ |last=Smith |first=Michele |title=Bio |website=The Official Website of Michele Smith |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref> She has been ESPN's lead college softball color analyst since 1998.<ref name=bio /> In 2012, Smith became the first woman to serve as commentator for a nationally televised Major League Baseball game.<ref>{{cite web |title=Softball Legend Smith Makes History in TV Booth |last=Newman |first=Mark |website=MLB |date=2012-08-19 |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/softball-legend-smith-makes-history-in-tv-booth/c-36860286 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205235853/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/36860286/ |archive-date=2015-12-05 |url-status=live}}</ref> Smith is a USA Softball Hall of Fame honoree.

== Early life and education == Smith started playing softball at the age of five.<ref name=biofacts>{{cite web |url=http://www.michelesmith.com/pages/Fun-Facts.html |last=Smith |first=Michele |title=Fun Facts |website=The Official Website of Michele Smith |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref> She attended Voorhees High School in Glen Gardner, New Jersey, where she set school records for wins, strikeouts and no-hitters. She continued her pitching career at Oklahoma State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in health and wellness.<ref name=bio />

On July 21, 1986, while Smith's father was driving her home from an oral surgeon's appointment, the sleeping Smith was thrown from the truck when her door opened on a turn. She was thrown into a roadside post, chopping off part of her elbow bone and tearing her triceps from her left arm, which severed the muscle and nerve endings in her golden pitching arm. The accident forced her to not only face the trauma of her injury, but also the end of her life as she had known it. "It was like losing my identity," she says. Her life was far from over: after nine intensive months of rehab she made her comeback as a pitcher at Oklahoma State University. She returned throwing 3 mph faster than before the accident.<ref name=biofacts />

== Oklahoma State Cowgirls == Smith debuted in 1986 and led the team in wins and batting average to earn First-Team Big Eight Conference honors. For her sophomore year, she posted a top-5 school season ERA to lead the team.<ref name="2021 Oklahoma State Softball Guide">{{cite web |url=https://okstate.com/documents/2021/2/11/2021_Oklahoma_State_Softball_Guide.pdf |title=2021 Oklahoma State Softball Guide |location=Okstate.com |access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WSB/Softball_Women's_Division%20I_1986_521_Oklahoma%20State%20University.pdf |title=Final 1986 Women's Softball Statistics Report |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2018-06-06}}</ref>

For her junior year, Smith was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association First-Team All-American to accompany her second top conference honors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nfca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4206:1988-di-all-american-teams-&catid=64&Itemid=134 |title=1988 NSCA Division I All-America Teams |location=Nfca.org |access-date=2018-06-06}}</ref> She broke school records for strikeouts, shutouts and wins while also posting career bests in average, RBIs, hits, slugging percentage, walks and home runs, the latter of which she tied for the NCAA lead that year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WSB/Softball_Women's_Division%20I_1988_521_Oklahoma%20State%20University.pdf |title=Final 1988 Women's Softball Statistics Report |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2018-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/Softball%20Archived%20Stats/1988/1988%20SB%20DI%20Stats.pdf |title=1988 Softball Statistics Division I Individual Leaders |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2018-06-06}}</ref> Smith also pitched four no-hitters, the first coming on March 6 over the Sam Houston State Bearkats.<ref name="2021 Oklahoma State Softball Guide"/>

In her final year, Smith achieved top honors from both the conference and the NFCA for a second straight year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nfca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4201:1989-di-all-american-teams-&catid=64&Itemid=134 |title=1989 NSCA Division I All-America Teams |location=Nfca.org |access-date=2018-06-06}}</ref> She also attained a conference pitching Triple Crown for leading in wins, strikeouts and ERA, all being career bests. Her strikeouts, shutouts and strikeout ratio (8.5) totals were then new school records; the ratio was atop the NCAA list for that year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WSB/Softball_Women's_Division%20I_1989_521_Oklahoma%20State%20University.pdf |title=Final 1989 Women's Softball Statistics Report |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2018-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/Softball%20Archived%20Stats/1989/1989%20SB%20DI%20Stats.pdf |title=1989 Softball Statistics Division I Individual Leaders |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2018-06-06}}</ref> Smith added five more no-hitters, two of them perfect games; the total overall tied the second most for an NCAA season (now top-5) and gave her 9 overall to rank top-5 for an NCAA career. She is still{{when|date=September 2018}} tied for 10th most on the NCAA list.

Smith set a career and school high with 17 strikeouts in a 2–0 regulation win vs. the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters on April 15.<ref name="2021 Oklahoma State Softball Guide"/> She led the Cowgirls to a No. 2 ranking at the 1989 Women's College World Series, where she opened with a 15-strikeout, three-hitter against the Toledo Rockets on May 25.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/ncaa/event.do?championship=400012&division=400012400012&school=521&event=400305 |title=1989 Women's Division I Softball College World Series Game 4 - 1989-05-25 |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2018-06-06}}</ref> Following a shutout of the Arizona Wildcats the team lost back-to-back games on May 27, with the Fresno State Bulldogs eliminating them from the series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/softball_wcws_stats/1989/okst.htm |title=OSU WCWS Stats |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref> Smith would earn All-Tournament honors for her performance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/softball_wcws_rb/2020/01-General.pdf |title=Division I Softball Championships |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref>

Smith graduated with the school record for wins, strikeouts, shutouts, innings pitched, no-hitters, RBIs, home runs and triples for a Cowgirl career, as well as ranking top-5 in numerous other categories. She still{{when|date=September 2018}} holds the record for wins, no-hitters and perfect games.<ref name="2021 Oklahoma State Softball Guide"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/SB_Records/2021/D1.pdf |title=Division I Softball Records |location=Ncaa.org |access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref>

== Personal life == Smith has also played basketball and field hockey.<ref name=biofacts /> She is often called Smitty, Lefty, and Silky (for her "silky" arm swing).

== Statistics ==

===Oklahoma State Cowgirls=== {| class="wikitable" |- align=center | '''Year''' | W | L | GP | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP |- align=center | '''1986''' | 12 | 6 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 131.1 | 87 | 29 | 24 | 43 | 67 | 1.28 | 0.99 |- align=center | '''1987''' | 18 | 5 | 23 | 23 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 161.0 | -- | -- | 19 | -- | 75 | 0.82 | -- |- align=center | '''1988''' | 26 | 6 | 36 | 30 | 26 | 16 | 1 | 218.2 | 102 | 32 | 18 | 51 | 218 | 0.57 | 0.70 |- align=center | '''1989''' | 26 | 3 | 33 | 27 | 25 | 17 | 1 | 196.1 | 83 | 21 | 15 | 40 | 240 | 0.53 | 0.62 |- align=center | '''Totals''' | '''82''' | '''20''' | '''108''' | '''97''' | '''75''' | '''46''' | '''2''' | '''707.1''' | '''+272''' | '''+82''' | '''76''' | '''+134''' | '''600''' | '''0.75''' | '''+0.74''' |}

===Team USA Olympic Softball=== <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Events/1996/July/21/Olympic-Games |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229114728/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Events/1996/July/21/Olympic-Games |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 29, 2015 |title=1996 Olympic Games |location=Teamusa.org |access-date=2018-06-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Events/2000/September/17/Olympic-Games |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229114419/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Events/2000/September/17/Olympic-Games |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 29, 2015 |title=2000 Olympic Games |location=Teamusa.org |access-date=2018-06-08}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- align=center | '''Year''' | W | L | GP | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA | WHIP |- align=center | '''1996''' | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 1.50 | 0.78 |- align=center | '''2000''' | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27.2 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 37 | 0.00 | 0.51 |- align=center | '''Totals''' | '''2''' | '''2''' | '''5''' | '''4''' | '''3''' | '''0''' | '''0''' | '''41.2''' | '''17''' | '''7''' | '''3''' | '''8''' | '''60''' | '''0.51''' | '''0.60''' |}

== Honors == * New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame (1998)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Awards |website=New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association |url=http://www.njsiaa.org/NJSIAA/HOF_years.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070521193256/http://www.njsiaa.org/NJSIAA/HOF_years.aspx |archive-date=2007-05-21}}</ref> * Shasta County, California Sports Hall of Fame<ref name=shasta>{{cite web |url=http://www.shastacosportshof.org/hof.htm |title=Enrollees |website=Shasta County Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=2015-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219020945/http://www.shastacosportshof.org/hof.htm |archive-date=2014-12-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> *Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame (2006)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/About/National-Softball-Hall-of-Fame/Members |title=Hall of Fame Members |website=ASA/USA Softball |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20140228122237/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/About/National-Softball-Hall-of-Fame/Members |archive-date=2014-02-28 }}</ref> * Eight-time Japan Pro Softball League champion and MVP<ref name=biofacts />

== Associated teams == * Team USA, 1992–2002<ref name=bio /> * Redding Rebels, 1993–1995<ref name=bio /><ref name=shasta /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eteamz.com/ReddingRebels/news/ |title=The History of the Redding Rebels}}</ref> * Toyota Shokki (Japanese Professional Softball League), 1993–2008<ref name=bio /> * New York/New Jersey Juggernaut (NPF), 2001 and 2004<ref>{{cite web |url=http://profastpitch.com/team/recognition/ |title=Historical Rosters |website=National Pro Fastpitch |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009091224/http://www.profastpitch.com/team/recognition/ |archive-date=2015-10-09 }}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==  * {{Official website|http://www.michelesmith.com/|Michele Smith's official website}} * {{youtube|FCQipXorurk|LOTG presents the 1996 Olympic Softball Team}} * {{youtube|BOuCp7oABEo|1996 USA Olympic Softball Trial vs Oklahoma City}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Michele Mary}} Category:Softball players from New Jersey Category:Softball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Softball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in softball Category:Japan Diamond Softball League players Category:Oklahoma State University alumni Category:Oklahoma State Cowgirls softball players Category:Olympic softball players for the United States Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters Category:Softball announcers Category:Sportspeople from Hunterdon County, New Jersey Category:People from Califon, New Jersey Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:American softball players Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Japan Category:Voorhees High School alumni Category:American women sports commentators