Rachel Smith '22 Recruiting Profile

Hey y'all! 

Thank you for visiting my profile! I'm a pitcher and second baseman from Cary, North Carolina. 

Fun fact: I love to donate blood! I found the pathway of donating blood as a way to help people, since I'm not a doctor yet. Key word being yet :). I plan on getting my PhD in genetics, and my M.D. with a specialization in neuroscience. In particular, I want to find the neurological indicators to genetic disorders, like Ehlers- Danlos Syndrome. My life long dream is to change someone's life. Big or small, I want to help people in any way I can. 

I plan to study neuroscience in college, while playing softball (and weightlifting on the side). I want to play for a school and team who align with my goals and focuses, so teammates who are majoring in science is a big plus! In addition, I want a good strength and conditioning coach. My goal is to squat 500 lbs by the time I graduate college (I'm at 255 lbs now). 

Even though I'm a pitcher, I hit for myself. Hitting has been my first love since I stepped on the softball field, and pitching is a close second. I throw a fastball, changeup, two seam, screw, and riseball. When I'm not pitching, you can find me at second base (either from a standup double, or because that's my position). Some hitting stats include a 461 batting average, a 775 slugging percentage, and a 495 on base percentage. 

Having played on many different sports teams, I have a large competitive drive, and intestinal fortitude. The will to get better outdid any pain, frustration, or negative emotion I may have had. Instead, I eat those emotions up, and turn them into fuel in the weight room and on the field. Early mornings and late nights in the classroom, in the gym, and on the field is what makes a good athlete great. From 6:oo am to 11:00 pm, you can find me doing something to improve my craft. Whether it's studying for a test, maxing out my bench press (110 lbs), or getting some pitching in with my dad, there is always something I can be doing to become a better athlete in the classroom, in the community, and on the field. 

To learn more about me as a person, student, and athlete, you can check out my website here: https://sites.google.com/view/rachelsrecruiting/home

Thank y'all again for taking time to read this, and I hope to chat with you soon!

With love from the Tar Heel state,

Rachel A. Smith