He threw great. He shouldn't have lost that game.

Honestly, we don't even think about it. We're just trying to win games. Obviously him hitting is a big part of us winning.

It was kind of a sloppy game. We didn't play that great.

It's obviously nice to have him back. I think the bottom line with Jeff is he's a baseball player from head to toe. He's starting to learn how to play the game, and he does a lot of things to help us win.

They're a top-notch program in the state. They're nationally recognized, and it's a great opportunity for us. It's a big game for us, a game where you can make a statement for yourself.

There's nobody else I want out there. I just know that when the pressure's on ... he's going to dial it up a notch, and that's the best chance we've got to win, with him out there in that situation.

(Tonight) was a good game. We made two bad pitches, and they took advantage of it. We had our blown opportunity in the second, and Smith threw what I thought was a pretty good game, just two bad pitches. Ironically, this was probably the best game he's thrown.

The problem is, he's got a football scholarship. So that's going to be held against him.

Outstanding. He's a great competitor, and the thing is, he got better as the game went on. I think he could have went nine (innings).

He used to get himself out a lot of times. Now, he's hit several home runs on 3-and-0 counts. He's been very selective, swung at very few bad pitches.