Every pitch counts for Big Green closer Ryan Smith '11, who enters games knowing that hanging even one curveball or walking one batter could mean the difference between a win and a loss for Dartmouth.
Smith has resisted the pressure well, breaking the Dartmouth team record with seven saves last season, a mark he recenlty tied this year.
With all seven of Dartmouth's saves this season, the right-hander has an overall ERA of 4.86 and an ERA of 2.16 against Ivy League teams, the lowest among the Dartmouth pitchers. He has pitched 16.2 innings over 11 appearances, giving up nine earned runs.
Depending mostly on his curveball and fastball, Smith also throws a change-up, which he cites as his weakest pitch.
"I don't really have much time to establish the change-up, so I rely on those pitches," Smith said. "That's all you need."
For his strike-out pitch, Smith said he usually throws a fastball or curveball, depending on the situation.
"The key for a closer, especially coming in late in the game, is to throw strikes and not walk anyone," Smith said. "You need to have enough confidence in your second pitches like the curveball to get outs."
Smith has exhibited tremendous control of his pitches this season, and is yet to give up a walk after facing 64 batters so far. He has, however, hit seven batsmen in his 11 outings, a stat that leads the Big Green.
"As a pitcher, you can't be afraid to throw inside," Smith said. "I have tried to be aggressive throwing inside. I'm not going to stop doing that, even if I end up hitting more batters."
Smith, in his role role as closer, requires mental strength in the face of pressure.
He said he became familiar with playing during clutch situations when he was a starting pitcher during high school.
"I pitched in a few big games in high school -- closing is all about being able to throw well during high pressure situations," he said.
After starting games as a pitcher at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, N.Y., Smith said he was unsure what his role on the Dartmouth baseball team would be. This uncertainty soon dissipated as his first collegiate relief outing against Navy resulted in two hitless innings and three strike outs as he held the Midshipmen scoreless.
Smith's role as a closer was further solidified when he earned his first save against Northwestern University in a 3.2-inning scoreless effort in 2008.
"His job is to come in with the game on the line to make sure the other team doesn't score," head coach Bob Whalen said. "He handles those situations with great poise and effectiveness."
Pitching in relief instead of starting also allows Smith to throw more frequently.
"Starting, you pitch one game a week," Smith said. "Closing, you can get out there and play every single day. It's a lot more exciting, but you also have to be careful about throwing too much."
Making sure to stay loose and focused during the game is important, especially since he is never sure when he is going to enter the game, Smith said.
According to Whalen, Smith is most effective in situations when the Big Green has the lead.
"That's the point of having a closer," Whalen said. "I would prefer not to use him in situations in which he wouldn't be most effective. We play four games a weekend, and to bring him in during a game in which we have the lead but he's already tired would not be as effective."
Smith had an ERA of 0.98 during his last 15 appearances of the 2008 season, and a total ERA of 2.25 during the entire season. After setting the school record with seven saves, Smith was named to the All-Ivy second team. Still, Smith largely attributes his ability to compile saves to the team's performance.
"When a team plays that well, save opportunities come up," Smith said. "I just owe my success in that category to the team."
So far this season, Smith has struck out 11 players -- three of whom went down looking. His opponents have a .313 batting average against him, the lowest against all Big Green pitchers.
Smith is yet to give up a home run this season and has allowed 20 hits, including one triple and six doubles.
As a sophomore, Smith has had some time to improve as a player, but said he also recognizes the need to continue to get better.
"I think I have definitely gotten more confident, and my delivery is more consistent," he said. "But, I want to work on my resilience."
