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University of Evansville Athletics

The Official Website of Evansville Athletics

2024 Baseball Roster

Bob Shallenberger
Bob Shallenberger

35 Nick Smith

  • Position Right-Handed Pitcher
  • Height 6-5
  • Weight 230
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Boonville, Ind.
  • Highschool Boonville HS

Biography

2022 MVC Pitcher of the Year
First-Team All-MVC Selection at Starting Pitcher (2022)
Honorable Mention All-MVC Selection at Starting Pitcher (2023)
MVC Pitcher of the Week (3x – 3/14/22, 4/25/22 and 5/1/23)
Preseason All-MVC Selection at Pitcher (2023)
Preseason MVC Pitcher of the Year by multiple publications/websites (2023)
Rated as 14th-best 2023 MVC Draft Prospect by D1Baseball.com (2023)
Ranked as the MVC's #22 MLB Draft Prospect in the 2024 Draft Class by D1Baseball.com (2024)
2021 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League All-Star
 
2023
  • An Honorable Mention All-MVC selection at starting pitcher
  • Went 5-3 with a 4.63 ERA in 15 appearances, including 14 starts
  • Led UE and ranked fifth in the MVC in innings pitched with 83.2
  • Ranked seventh in the Valley in opponents’ batting average, holding teams to a .245 average
  • Finished ninth in the MVC in strikeouts with 72
  • Also ranked 12th in the MVC in earned run average with a 4.63 mark
  • Earned MVC Pitcher of the Week honors on May 1 after shutting down #14 Indiana State, holding the Sycamores to a single unearned run on five hits in 7.0 innings of work (4/28/23)
  • Struck out a career-high 12 men in 7.0 innings of work against Bowling Green State (3/4/23)
  • Limited Purdue to just two runs on three hits in 6.0 innings of work, striking out seven (3/17/23); did not allow a runner past first base after the third inning
  • Held Southern Illinois to a run on five hits in 5.0 innings of work in Carbondale to earn a Friday night victory (4/14/23)
  • Went 1-0 with a 2.11 ERA in the month of April, after going 2-1 with a 3.75 ERA in the month of March
  • Shut down Southern Illinois in the MVC Tournament opener, holding the Salukis to three runs on seven hits in a season-high 8.0 innings of work to earn the victory (5/24/23)
  • Also struck out five men in 4.0 innings of relief work three days later in the MVC Tournament Championship round against nationally-ranked Indiana State, yielding just two runs on three hits on two days rest (5/27/23 – Game 1)
2022
  • Named the 2022 MVC Pitcher of the Year
  • Became the first Purple Ace since Kyle Freeland in 2014 and just the third UE pitcher since 1995 to earn the honor
  • Went 6-4 overall with a 4.35 ERA, striking out 75 men against just 25 walks in 78.2 innings of work
  • Had four wins in MVC play and posted a 4.06 ERA in league play, with 40 strikeouts against just 10 walks
  • UE won seven of his last nine starts, with one of the losses coming against Valparaiso, when he left after only three batters due to injury
  • Named MVC Pitcher of the Week twice
  • Earned his first MVC Pitcher of the Week award after beating #18 Tulane on the road, allowing just a run on six hits while striking out seven in 6.1 innings of work (3/12/22)
  • Also named MVC Pitcher of the Week after tossing a complete-game 7.0-inning shutout at Indiana State in which he held the Sycamores to just two hits and a walk, while striking out seven on a day with 25-30 mile-per-hour winds blowing straight out to left field
  • Struck out a season-high 10 men in a season-best 8.0 innings of work in a win against Illinois State, as he scattered three runs on six hits (5/7/22)
  • Earned Valley wins against Southern Illinois (4/9/22), at Missouri State (4/16/22), at Indiana State (4/23/22), and against Illinois State (5/7/22)
  • Struck out seven or more men five different times
2021
  • Limited in the spring to just four appearances, while battling injuries as a true freshman
  • Went 0-1 with a 10.29 ERA, striking out eight men in 7.0 innings of work
  • Made his UE debut with a start at Kentucky in which he got a no-decision, while giving up a run on three base hits in a season-best 3.0 innings of work, while striking out three (3/3/21)
  • Also struck out three men at Southern Illinois in his MVC debut (3/13/21), giving up five runs in 2.0 innings on the mound
  • Did not appear in a game for the next two months, before returning to also pitch one-inning stints in relief at Valparaiso (5/15/21) and against Indiana State (5/22/21)
  • Pitched in the summer for the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, and earned All-Star status by going 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 35.2 innings of work
  • Did not allow a run in seven of his 11 outings in the PGCBL
PREP
  • Played his prep baseball at nearby Boonville High School, just 17 miles northeast of the UE campus
  • A part of two no-hitters as a high school junior
  • No-hit Evansville Harrison High School as a junior in 2019, striking out 11 in a 10-0 run-rule victory
PERSONAL
  • Son of Susan and Eric Smith
  • Has two older siblings – Andy and Alli
  • His father, Eric, played baseball at Oakland City University
  • Nick says “my dad was my introduction to baseball, and through many of his health problems, we still share the same passion and love for the sport and he is the reason I play every day.”
  • Also played basketball growing up
  • Once scored 24 points in a sixth-grade game against teammate Simon Scherry’s Heritage Hills team
  • Favorite food is sushi
  • His hidden talent is longboarding
  • Lists his hobbies as fishing, listening to music and cruising the backroads
  • His nickname is “Biggin’”
  • Wears #35 because of Justin Verlander.  His favorite number is actually #34, “but Tyler Denu stole it first”

Statistics

Season:
2024

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 35

    2021Freshman

    Right-Handed Pitcher
    6'4" 235 lbs
    35
  • 35

    2022Sophomore

    Right-Handed Pitcher
    6'4" 245 lbs
    35
  • 35

    2023Junior

    Right-Handed Pitcher
    6'5" 230 lbs
    35
  • 35

    2024Senior

    Right-Handed Pitcher
    6'5" 230 lbs
    35
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