By Staff
Brian Smith, a 1997 graduate of Hartselle High School, recently signed a professional baseball contract to play for the Montgomery Wings of the Southeastern League.
Smith played his senior year of high school baseball at Hartselle. He was the starting catcher for the squad that reached the Sweet 16 round of 6A post season play.
During his senior season he shared the highest hitting average on the team at .402 and tied Scott McClanahan for most homeruns in the season with nine.
Smith played junior college ball for Calhoun Community College in Decatur and completed his college career in Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina, an NCAA Division II school.
While playing catcher at Erskine, Smith batted .354 and graduated from Erskine with a degree in Physical Education.
During his final three years of college, Smith played in wooden bat leagues during the summer for the Carolina Warriors of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League for two years and for the Waynesboro Generals of the Shenandoah Valley League.
He is the son of Tony and Jo Lynn Smith of Hartselle.
Hartselle Tigers assistant Coach Chris Heaps remembered Smith well. Well enough to help the minor leaguer train for the try out that secured him a place on the Montgomery Wings roster.
"He's a real good catcher, so I helped him work out a few days for the tryouts," Heaps said.