BALTIMORE – Happy, healthy and hitting hard.
Those words perfectly describe the presence of junior shortstop
Danielle Smith for Coppin State's softball team. However, around this time last year, Smith's season wasn't looking as bright.
"I had a fractured tibial plateau and a tear in my MCL," Smith said. "We were playing Delaware State and I went to cover the bag myself to turn two and the girl came sliding in. She got me right in the knee."
The routine play sidelined Smith for the rest of the 2014 season but she didn't shy away from the adversity.
"I did a lot of rehab," Smith said. "I drove an hour three times a week during the summer to come back to school to do rehab. I was already half way through my rehab and I didn't want to switch. I already knew what I had to do with our trainers so it made sense. By the end of the summer I was just doing maintenance to keep up the strength."
She had no problem making the hour-long excursion to Coppin State, a new and drastic change of scenery for the Rising Sun native.
"For me, being in the city is totally different," Smith mentioned with a smile. "When I first came on my visit here, I told my mom I wasn't sure about it. It was a whole different world for me because I'm from a small town. We have one McDonalds. It's the only fast food place in town and you have to drive at least 20 minutes if you want something else. So at Coppin, I saw it would be new scenery, different people and cultures; which would help me in the business field since I'm an accounting major."
Smith is definitely good with numbers.
She is currently on a career-best 12-game hitting streak, putting up a .513 batting average through those games. Smith leads Coppin State in runs (23) while adding 25 hits, 13 RBIs and four homeruns to her stats. She is batting .342 through 25 games.
It just so happens that her best stats of the season thus far came against Delaware State, the same team that previously cut her year short.
Smith finished the three-game series against the Hornets with a .857 batting average. During the final game she was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with three walks.
"I didn't want to jinx myself but in the back of my mind I knew," Smith said. "That Sunday, I hit pretty well. I told myself I'm not going to boost my ego and just keep doing what I need to do. On Monday, I knew they weren't going to pitch to me that much. The three times I walked I wasn't happy. I really wanted to hit the ball."
Smith not only hits the ball well. She is also a critical part of the Eagles defense at shortstop but her game is a constant work in progress.
"I'm playing a new position this year," Smith said. "I started playing shortstop after Candice [Van Horn] got hurt. I struggled that year. When she moved to catcher, I realized this is where the team needs me. I've been trying to improve and step up to play the position. It wasn't till college that I got thrown to shortstop. I think I've improved but it's still the challenge of a new position."
Smith isn't alone in the journey, as her family makes the trip to see her play at the CSU Softball Complex as often as they can.
"At a lot of the home games I have my grandparents, mom and dad come," Smith said. "Everyone loves when my grandparents come. My teammates think they're the cutest thing. My grandma always gives speeches about how we're her entertainment."
Hopefully the Eagles can put on a spectacular show when they visit the University of Delaware on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
Coppin State will be back home on Wednesday to face Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe and the Northern Division's second-place Norfolk State. The two teams will meet for a doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 4:00 p.m. and will close out competition on Thursday at 1:00 p.m.
Smith knows how crucial these final conference games are for Coppin State to have a shot at making the MEAC Tournament.
Instead of folding under the pressure, Smith is striving to play her part and put her best bat forward.
"Coach Robinson wants everyone to be a leader in their own way," Smith admitted. "He looks at everybody to do certain things and be leaders in different categories. Being the leadoff, my leadership is getting on base to motivate everyone else to want to produce. I think my leadership comes down to doing what I need to do for the team to be successful."
