Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/115608
2013 FURMAN UNIVERSITY p BASEBALL a player lounge, training and equipment rooms, laundry, and spacious indoor batting and pitching cages. Phase 2 will include a new press box, concourse, concessions, public restrooms, and additional chair back seating. In addition to raising funds for facility improvements, Smith also initiated in 1998 the "Upstate Diamond Classic," a muchanticipated annual fund-raising dinner that has featured many outstanding speakers and former baseball greats such as Tommy John, Bobby Thompson, Bobby Richardson, Alvin Dark, Brett Butler, Phil Niekro, John Smoltz, and Jeff Francoeur, as well as renown baseball broadcasters Pete van Wieren, Skip Carey, hall of famer Marty Brennaman, highly acclaimed novelist and collegiate baseball fan John Grisham, and world renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. A 1979 Furman graduate with a degree in political science/ education, Smith was a three-year starter and three-time letterwinner as a shortstop for the Paladins from 1975-77. As a junior, in 1976, he batted .245 and helped lead Furman to a 23-16 record, SoCon title, and an appearance in the NCAA Atlantic Regional, where the Paladins defeated both Virginia Tech and South Carolina before being eliminated by Clemson. That season still stands as one of the finest in Furman baseball history and was only finally surpassed in wins by Smith's 1997 Paladin squad. In addition to enjoying a fine baseball career, Smith proved to be an outstanding basketball player during his tenure at Furman. Known for his competitiveness and tenacity, he was a four-year starter at point guard and played on squads that twice won SoCon championships and competed in the NCAA Tournament. As a senior he captained Furman's 1977-78 team that defeated Clemson, as well as North Carolina and North Carolina State in the North-South Doubleheader. Those wins still sta2nd as the last Furman triumphs over the Tigers, Tar Heels, and Wolfpack in basketball. Following the 1977 baseball season, he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball Draft and played on various minor league squads that also included future major leaguers Ryne Sandburg, Lonnie Smith, Ozzie Virgil, and Bob Walk. He advanced as high as the Phillies' Head Coach Ron Smith AAA Oklahoma City affiliate before retiring as a player in 1981. He remained with the Phillies organization for the 1982 season, managing squads in both Sarasota, Fla., and Helena, Mont. Shortly before concluding his tenure in professional baseball in 1982, Smith assumed the basketball head coaching job at Miami University in Middletown, Ohio. From 1981-87 he posted a 116-59 record and won three conference championships. While serving as basketball coach at Miami University-Middletown, he began his career as a teacher and administrator in the public schools in 1984, when he assumed the baseball head coaching duties at Middletown High School. While there, he directed his team to a 42-32 record over a three-year period. FURMAN COACHING RECORDS Overall SoCon Coach Years Seasons W L T .Pct W L T .Pct (Unknown)..............5......... 1896-00....................................14......... 11......... 0.........560 C.M. McGee.............1......... 1901...........................................8........... 1......... 0.........899 J.R. Sullivan.............1......... 1902...........................................2........... 4......... 0.........333 B.E. Geer..................1......... 1903...........................................1........... 3......... 0.........250 W.T. Everett.............1......... 1904...........................................9........... 3......... 0.........750 Bernie McCay..........1......... 1905...........................................8........... 3......... 0.........727 J.C. Osteen...............1......... 1906...........................................6........... 6......... 1.........500 James Price.............1......... 1907...........................................4........... 7......... 0.........364 T.C. Stouch...............2......... 1909-10....................................12......... 11......... 0.........521 Jack Corbett............1......... 1911...........................................7........... 5......... 0.........583 W.L. Laval...............17........ 1908; 1912-27........................140....... 124......... 5.........530 A.P. McLeod............12........ 1928-30; 1933-35; 1937-42 . ...78......... 81......... 5.........491 Pepper Martin.........1......... 1943...........................................3........... 5......... 0.........375..........2.......... 3........0......400 Lyles Alley...............8......... 1946-49; 1951-53; 1967...........69......... 96......... 1.........419........44........ 63........1......412 Woody Johnson.......1......... 1950...........................................8......... 13......... 0.........381..........7.......... 7........0......500 Bill Kerr...................4......... 1954-57....................................32......... 42......... 0.........432........11........ 16........0......407 Dixie Howell............3......... 1958-1960................................30......... 33......... 1.........476........13........ 14........0......481 Mack Erwin.............1......... 1961.........................................15......... 10......... 0.........600..........7.......... 3........0......700 Bobby Jennings.......1......... 1962.........................................12........... 9......... 0.........571..........6.......... 3........0......667 Jack Powers.............4......... 1963-66....................................40......... 67......... 2.........376........24........ 27........0......471 Bob Reising.............2......... 1968-69....................................33......... 21......... 2.........607........16.......... 7........1......688 Tom Wall................22........ 1970-71; 1974-93..................329....... 480......... 4.........407......124...... 218........1......363 Elton Brunty............2......... 1972-73....................................37......... 28......... 2.........567........16........ 12........0......571 Ron Smith..........19.......1994-Present.................. 468......572....... 3.......450.....245..... 283......1... .464 Note: Game results/season records prior to 1901 are incomplete In 1989, he took over as head basketball coach at Middletown High School, and over five seasons guided his program to a 75-42 record, including Greater Miami Conference, sectional, and district championships in 1989, for which he was named conference coachof-the-year. A native of Elkhart, Ind., Smith, who in 1999 was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall-of-Fame Silver Anniversary Team (along with Larry Bird), holds a master's degree in educational leadership from Miami (Ohio) University. He is married to the former Beth Jordan of Houston, Texas, and has a daughter, Emily, and three sons: Devin, Blake, and Peyton. RON SMITH VS. THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE Opponent Regular Season Tourney Total .Pct Wofford................................ 34-10................2-1.................36-11.......... .766 Marshall*................................. 9-3................0-0.....................9-3.......... .750 VMI*.................................... 17-10................0-1.................17-11.......... .607 avidson................................ 31-25................0-0.................31-25.......... .554 East Tennessee State*.......... 20-16................2-2.................22-18.......... .550 Appalachian State................ 28-27................4-3.................32-30.......... .516 UNC Greensboro................... 21-24................5-2.................26-26.......... .500 Georgia Southern................. 23-33................5-4.................28-37.......... .431 The Citadel........................... 19-38................3-3.................22-41.......... .349 Western Carolina.................. 20-37................3-6.................23-43.......... .348 College of Charleston........12-32-1................3-3..............15-35-1.......... .304 Elon........................................ 7-20................1-1...................8-21.......... .276 Samford................................... 4-8................0-3...................4-11.......... .267 Totals......................245-283-1.........28-29....... 273-312-1.........468 *No longer in SoCon 9