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How former Vanderbilt, Tennessee baseball pitcher, Ethan Smith found relief at Lipscomb

george robinson, nashville tennessean
·4 min read

Ethan Smith has been in search of contentment throughout his college baseball journey. And the former Mt. Juliet star who began his career at Vanderbilt and later at Tennessee, has found it as a fifth-year senior without ever leaving the state.

Smith has found a home at Lipscomb as a reliever and the stage gets bigger at the Clemson Regional of the NCAA Tournament. The Bison (36-24) will face host Clemson (43-17) on Friday (Noon CT, ESPN+).

Few are as experienced to handle this moment than Smith who played three seasons at Vanderbilt and was a part of the 2019 national championship team as a freshman. He also played last season at Tennessee when the Vols advanced to the super regional.

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The Clemson Regional includes the Vols, who face Charlotte at 6 p.m. Friday. The Commodores will face Eastern Illinois in the Nashville Regional on Friday.

"It's sort of surreal to see two teams who you've played for in the regional but Vanderbilt and Tennessee are great programs," said Smith, who has a 6.13 ERA in 20 appearances, mostly in relief for the Bison. "It's not surprising they are here. Coach Corbs (Tim Corbin of Vanderbilt) and Coach (Tony) Vitello (of Tennessee) are two of the best in the business."

Smith had a combined 8-0 record and 2.78 ERA in 64 innings for Vanderbilt but his opportunities decreased each season with a competitive rotation.

The 6-foot-2 righthander's sophomore season was wiped out because of COVID but he managed a 1.42 ERA and 23 strikeouts in three starts in 2020. He had only eight appearances on the mound as a junior before transferring to Tennessee. His lone season with the Vols was a struggle, compiling a 7.36 ERA in just 3.2 innings.

Lipscomb University's Ethan Smith prepares to throw a pitch toward home plate during the ASUN Championship baseball pool play between the Bison and Jacksonville May 26, 2023 at Melching Field in DeLand, Florida.
Lipscomb University's Ethan Smith prepares to throw a pitch toward home plate during the ASUN Championship baseball pool play between the Bison and Jacksonville May 26, 2023 at Melching Field in DeLand, Florida.

Smith also found himself among arguably the best pitching staff in the SEC with Chase Dollander, Chase Burns and Drew Beam. Dollander, a transfer from Georgia Southern, was the SEC pitcher of the year and All American in 2022. Beam was named the SEC freshman of the year.

Had Smith known how competitive that staff would be, it wouldn't have changed his decision to transfer to UT.

"My plan was to pitch," Smith said. "I did that ... not as much as I wanted to, but I had a great time over there."

After Smith entered the transfer portal, he had interest from schools like LSU, Southern Miss and Memphis. He was convinced that Memphis was his next destination and sent his transcript there while looking for housing last August.

But 15 minutes after a phone conversation with Memphis coaches, Smith got a call from former Lipscomb volunteer assistant Will Hawks. Hawks — a former grad assistant at Austin Peay and currently a coach with the St. Louis Cardinals' Class AA affiliate Springfield Cardinals — convinced Smith that he should be a Bison.

"We knew Ethan out of high school when he was a top 100 player in the country and when he had some success at Vanderbilt early," Lipscomb coach Jeff Forehand said. "Every player's got a story. For whatever reason, I feel like the good Lord just placed him at Lipscomb."

Smith was initially concerned about Lipscomb's ability to develop his skills without the same resources he grew accustomed to at SEC programs. But those concerns dissipated quickly when it became apparent how much Forehand's coaching staff devoted to him.

Lipscomb Academy's Ethan Smith stretches to throw a pitch from the mound during a Bison game earlier this season. Lipscomb faces Clemson in the first game of the Clemson Regional of the NCAA baseball tournament on Friday.
Lipscomb Academy's Ethan Smith stretches to throw a pitch from the mound during a Bison game earlier this season. Lipscomb faces Clemson in the first game of the Clemson Regional of the NCAA baseball tournament on Friday.

Smith has struck out 39 batters in 39.1 innings pitched, moving to the bullpen seven games into the season.

Lipscomb survived an 11-game losing streak that included opponents like Auburn and 2021 national champions Mississippi State. But Lipscomb responded by winning 10 of its last 11 regular season games and captured the ASUN Tournament title.

Smith has struck out 39 batters in 39.1 innings pitched, moving to the bullpen seven games into the season.

"We have a lot more baseball left in us," Smith said. "So our focus will be on us and my approach has never changed, no matter if I was at Vandy or UT or now with Lipscomb. I'm giving Lipscomb everything I got."

Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ethan Smith's journey from Vanderbilt, Tennessee to Lipscomb baseball