April 10, 2015
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - When Ryky Smith steps on the baseball field, his favorite movie about the sport is never far from his mind.
But it's not The Natural or The Rookie or some other inspiration baseball film that the Penn State senior is thinking of. Instead, it's the 1993 kids classic, The Sandlot.
For starters, Smith uses one of the movie's songs, titled "Green Onions," as his walk-up music. But it actually goes a bit deeper than that for the Nittany Lion infielder.
"It's one of my favorite movies, that's for sure," Smith said. "That `s the mindset that I take out there on the field every day. I'm going to play like a sandlot ballplayer today. I'm not going to make it look too pretty, I'm just going to get the job done. That kind of why I choose that song because I want to remind people what kind of player I am."
It may seem like a humorous approach, but the senior has certainly been showing what type of player he is this season. After getting off to a slow start, Smith has hit .410 since March 18 and is currently second on the team in batting average at .317 and fourth in RBIs with 15.
A player who has the ability to play both second and third base, Smith has already started 13 games this season after making just 14 last year. He has also registered 63 at-bats after only receiving 53 in his third season.
According to the York, Pennsylvania, native, his improved performance has been the result of receiving more consistent playing and taking a more easygoing approach at the plate.
"In the past, I seemed to not have gotten the consistent play that you need to get on a roll," Smith said. "I've had at-bats here and there, but never really had the chance to string them together. Now, I've gotten the chance to prove myself on a consistent basis and that's kind of where the success for me has been.
"There's nothing mechanic about. It's just a mindset for me right now. I'm going to be extremely aggressive out there, I'm not going to play scared and I'm going to have fun doing it."
Head coach Rob Cooper agreed with Smith's assessment, and also added that he thought Smith put too much pressure on himself last year, which helped lead to his .226 average.
Now, Cooper said that Smith has accepted his role as a utility player that might not start every game but is still expected to contribute on a regular basis and plug any hole necessary.
"I think last year, one the coaching transition and him being an upperclassmen and wanting to do well," Cooper said. "I think just relaxing and going, `my role is going to come off the bench and if I get a chance I'll do the best I can.'
"Last year when he would get his chance he would put a lot of pressure on himself. Now, its just like, `I'm going to enjoy the moment and go out there and play hard,' and he's having great success."
At the end of the day, the biggest key for Smith has been staying loose on the field. A scrappy player who runs out every groundball and isn't afraid to dive in the dirt, the 5-foot-10 infielder has become one of the Nittany Lions most reliable hitters in his final season with the team.
Smith knows that his days at Penn State are numbered, but he is determined to enjoy every one of them. In his mind, there's no better way to end his career by approaching each game with a "sandlot" mentality.
"I'm really just focused on having fun right now," Smith. "I've said it before, I've put in the hard work but now it's time to enjoy my senior season, go have fun and that's what baseball is all about. That's kind of been the emphasis for me."