By FRED KRONER
For as long as he can remember, Brayden Smith had one unchangeable goal.
“I always wanted to compete in college sports,” Smith said. “It was always a goal for me.”
He was a two-sport athlete – baseball and football – but needed to pick a favorite as he reached junior high.
Both sports are contested in the fall.
“I played youth football my fifth- and sixth-grade year and then stopped playing because of junior high baseball in seventh- and eighth-grade,” Smith said.
He returned to football in high school – because baseball is a spring sport – but didn’t intend to pursue it after graduation.
“Baseball was the sport I wanted to do all throughout my life and it was my passion since I started playing,” Smith said. “I got really serious about it after my sophomore year of high school. I never favored football.
“I felt like baseball was the best path for me when I would want to practice baseball over any other sport. I love the game and have loved it for a very long time. I have always wanted to play baseball.”
Smith played for the Mahomet Mavericks travel team for years before joining the Champaign Tribe for one year and the Champaign Dream for two years.
“I can play just about anywhere on the baseball diamond,” said Smith, who was primarily a catcher as a senior for the Bulldogs.
For baseball, Smith made only one visit but decided there was no need to check out any schools other than the one located 55 miles south of his hometown.
An All-Area first-team pick as a senior, he committed to Lake Land College, in Mattoon, and is now about halfway through the first semester of his freshman year.
“Lake Land was my only visit that I made and the only offer I had,” Smith said. “If I had multiple offers though I still would have gone to Lake Land.
“I love the coaching staff and the school.”
The recruiting process was one of uncertainty.
“I got started very late on the recruiting process because of Covid-19,” he said. “It made it hard for college coaches to come and watch you play because of the virus.
“It was expected to be tough especially due to the pandemic.”
Smith has been involved with fall ball at Lake Land and said, “it is going pretty well.
“I do not know what my role will be just yet. I will have to see how the fall plays out,” he added.
He sees untapped potential in his baseball career as he totally focuses on the one sport.
“I feel like playing two sports got me stronger and faster for baseball,” Smith said. “The training we did in football prepared me for baseball because we did specialized speed training every week and did lifts in the off-season and in the fall during the season.
“I see benefits to the two- or three-sport athletes.”
As a senior at M-S, the 5-foot-11 Smith hit .455 (40 for 88), with 32 RBI for a 27-6 team. He was the Bulldogs’ second leading hitter.
He pounded 13 doubles (second among the Bulldogs) and two home runs, finishing with 12 games where he produced at least two hits. He was hit by pitches a team-best 10 times and drew 15 walks.
Smith was also one of the toughest Bulldogs to strikeout, fanning 15 times in 114 plate appearances. His .575 on base percentage led the team as did his .659 slugging percentage.
As a junior at M-S, Smith hit .321. He was a two-year letter winner in baseball as his sophomore season was wiped out by COVID-19.
In football, Smith was a mainstay on the offensive line for a squad that was 11-1 and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals in 2021. He earned honorable mention All-Area recognition.
Smith is majoring in criminal justice at Lake Land and has an eye on his professional future.
“I hope to be a state cop in 10 years,” he said.
