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You have to hand it to Hans ... FSU does By KRIS HENRY Hans Smith wasn't even sure he could compete in Division I baseball when Fresno State coach Bob Bennett took a chance on the left-handed pitcher. With a fastball topping off at 78 mph while pitching for the Crater Comets in 1996, Smith didn't exactly have the stuff college coaches drool over. Four years later, the 6-foot-9, 260-pounder leads Fresno State in nearly every pitching category and is two saves away from the school's career mark. Saves have been a recognized statistic since 1975. "He's improved dramatically since he first got here," says Bennett. "It is pretty dramatic for a pitcher to go from topping out at 78 to getting up to 90 and still getting better." That improvement bodes well for Smith as he approaches Bobby Jones' career record of 16 saves, set from 1989-91. Jones now pitches for the New York Mets. "Any record that you get is nice to have," says Smith. "To get it at a program like Fresno State, which is known for baseball, is something special. But I'm just glad we're winning and able to try for those things. The toughest thing about that (record) is you have to have a save opportunity. If things work out where I don't get another save and we blow everybody out, that's fine for me." Smith, 21, had a chance to leave Fresno State after his junior season when the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in the 30th round. Instead of bolting toward a professional career, Smith opted for a return to the Bulldogs in hopes of raising his stock. His success this season virtually ensures his name will be called much sooner in the June amateur draft. The southpaw leads Fresno State in wins (6-0), saves (6), appearances (21) and ERA (1.73). Smith's ERA ranks him 11th in the nation. In 41 innings of work, he has allowed 38 hits with three walks and 35 strikeouts. "I just kind of fine-tuned some stuff," Smith says of his growth this past year. "I got stronger and picked up some velocity. The pitches are about the same, they're just fine-tuned to hit spots better and set batters up more now." Relying mainly on a fastball and split-finger fastball, Smith has made the most of each outing this season in leading Fresno State to a 28-10 record. "My fastball's my best pitch," says Smith. "When you're a closer, you don't really want to mess around. You throw your best pitch. If you get beat, you want to get beat with your best pitch." Fortunately for Bennett and crew, Smith's approach has kept him and the team virtually unscathed. "He likes to come on in tough situations, so that stopper role really suits him," says Bennett. "He's been invaluable in the late innings. Without him, we would be struggling. If we hold other teams off and get Hans in late, we feel like we've got a win." That expectation doesn't seem to faze Smith, who was the Western Athletic Conference pitcher of the week for March 13. "You kind of feel the pressure, but it's the pressure you want to feel," he says. "It's kind of nice to have people say, `We know you can do it. Get out and do your job like you know you can.' Then you just go out and let it go for one or two innings." Smith's reliability has even led Bennett to bring him in early in hopes that he can shut down the opponent long enough for the offense to come around. With Smith also boasting a slider and change-up, Bennett says he might start using him as a starter for the third game of a series if he hasn't pitched the first two games. Bennett says Smith may be one of the most improved baseball players he has been around in 32 years at Fresno State and has a solid future waiting for him beyond the Bulldogs. "When he gets out of here, he should make a good living in baseball," says Bennett, who ranks ninth in Division I career victories with 1,217. "He should have a good professional career and he also could be a good pitching coach. He really has a good understanding of pitching mechanics and everything that goes into pitching." It's been Smith's ability to learn and help others develop that has impressed Bennett the most. "Besides being a good pitcher, he's just a good guy to have on the ballclub," says the coach. "He works with young guys and is a leader and helps guys learn how to do things the right way. "If we could get 35 Hans Smiths on a ballclub, we'd be a great ballclub." And to think, neither Smith nor Bennett were convinced he would ever have an impact at Fresno State. "Coming out of high school, I didn't really expect to be going to a major Division I college," Smith says. "Succeeding like this is kind of nice. I'm just happy with the way everything turned out." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA