Princeton

It’s hard enough to play Division-I baseball but doing so while dealing with the workload of Princeton University is no small task. But not only was Garden City native Ryan Smith able to complete that difficult four-year journey, he came out on the other side with not only a degree but a contract to pitch in Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Angels. The southpaw is blessed with an arm that generates fastballs in the mid-90s, and he has worked his way through the organizational rung all the way to Triple-A. Smith pitched in the grueling Pacific Coast League this season as a 24-year-old. Overall, he compiled a record of 7-7 with a 4.24 ERA over 129.1 IP. He was able to strike out 153 batters and compile a WHIP of 1.15. He will enter 2022 with an outside shot to get the call to...