A Triumphant Return

Pitcher Doug Smith honored after leading Tri-C to victory in opener

After a year off the mound recovering from shoulder surgery, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®) pitcher Doug Smith made his comeback appearance a day to a remember.

Smith pitched four scoreless innings to lead the Challengers to a season-opening victory over Guilford Technical Community College in North Carolina. The right-hander struck out seven and surrendered just one hit.

The performance earned Smith the Pitcher of the Week Award from the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference for games played Feb. 26-March 4.

Smith missed last season with an injury after posting an 8-3 record as a freshman in 2016.

The sophomore from Galloway is working toward an Associate of Arts degree at the College.

Tri-C opened the season with four wins over Guilford before splitting a doubleheader on Monday against the University of Charleston. The team’s next game is scheduled for Saturday at Florence-Darlington Technical College.

The team plays its home games at Tri-C’s Western Campus in Parma. For a full team schedule, visit www.tri-c.edu/athletics.

The Challengers ended last season ranked 13^th in the nation with a record of 45-14. The team finished second in the conference standings and third in the NJCAA Region XII regional tournament.

March 07, 2018

John Horton, 216-987-4281 john.horton@tri-c.edu