Kermit Smith enters his eighth year as head coach of the Lander program. Smith became the Bearcats' fifth head baseball coach when he was hired in June 2009.
Smith is the winningest coach in Lander baseball history with an overall 244-134 record in seven seasons. He has taken the Bearcats to four Peach Belt Conference tournaments and three NCAA tournaments in the past five years. During his head coaching career at Lander, seven Bearcats have gone on to sign contracts with MLB affiliates.
The Bearcats advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series for the second time in school history in 2016, finishing the season with a 44-16 record. Lander set a school record with 94 home runs and won the Southeast Regional championship at Columbus State to earn the program's second trip to the NCAA Division II World Series in three seasons. The Bearcats finished the season ranked No. 3 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, the highest finish in school history. Smith was named the ABCA/Diamond Southeast Regional Coach of the Year.
Lander went 22-8 in Peach Belt play during the regular season and were one of the final four teams remaining in the nation, knocking off Central Missouri and Southern Indiana during their trip to Cary. The Bearcats went 20-5 at Dolny Stadium and knocked off in-state rival USC Aiken twice in two days to win the Southeast Regional. Lander swept five PBC series during the season and won 15 consecutive games from late February to mid-March. The Bearcats also set a NCAA Division II record by scoring in their 264th consecutive game on April 13th.
Lander had a school-record four players drafted in the 2016 MLB Draft. Highlighting that group was junior right-handed pitcher Brandon White, who was a 12th round pick and the No. 349 overall seletion by the Atlanta Braves. White led the Peach Belt Conference with a school-record 14 saves, going 4-2 record with a 1.12 ERA in 40.1 innings pitched. Senior first baseman Colby Lusignan was a 28th round selection by the Miami Marlins after leading the Bearcats with a .390 batting average. Lusignan made 58 starts on the year with 92 hits, 68 RBI, 20 doubles and 14 homers. Senior pitcher/second baseman Will Jones was also selected in the 28th round by the New York Yankees. Jones set a single-season record with 106 strikeouts in 110.1 innings. Jones tossed two complete games and compiled a 10-3 record on the mound. Senior centerfielder Zach Daly was selected in the 37th round by the Miami Marlins after setting a single-season record with 23 home runs and tying the school record with 77 RBI. White, Lusignan, Jones, Daly and Thomas Berry were all named first-team All-Peach Belt.
The 2014 team finished 52-9, setting a school record for wins in a season and finishing as high as No. 4 by the Collegiate Baseball poll. Lander boasted the nation's most prolific offense, leading Division II in home runs and runs scored. The Bearcats won the Southeast Regional championship at Dolny Stadium and advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series for the first time in program history. Lander went 24-6 in the PBC and claimed the program's first conference tournament championship.
Among the highlights in 2014 included a 27-3 mark at Dolny Stadium. Smith's team would claim nine PBC series and win seven games against eventual NCAA Tournament participants. Lander earned the top seed in the Southeast Region, defeating Columbus State in the championship to advance to the school's first-ever NCAA Division II World Series.
Lander would have three players drafted in the 2014 MLB Draft, marking the first year the Bearcats ever had multiple players selected. Highlighting that group was junior right-handed pitcher Mason McCullough, who was a fifth round pick and the No. 150 overall seletion by the Arizona Diamondbacks. McCullough was third in the PBC with 87 strikeouts, posting a 5-1 record with a 4.59 ERA in 64.2 innings pitched. Senior shortstop Erik Lunde was an 18th round selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates after setting the single-season school record with 94 hits in the 2014 season. Lunde started all 61 games during the year and hit .359 with 94 runs scored, 52 RBI, 20 doubles and 14 homers. Senior outfielder Patrick Grady rounded out the group as a 33rd round selection by the Tampa Bay Rays. Grady set single-season records with 92 runs scored and 25 doubles and was named the PBC Player of the Year, the first Bearcat to ever earn that honor. Senior second baseman Graham Ramos signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees. Additionally, freshman right-handed pitcher Brandon White was named the PBC Freshman of the Year after recording a school-record 12 saves and Smith was tabbed as the PBC Coach of the Year and the South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
The 2013 team compiled a 35-16 record and finished the season ranked No. 23 in the final Collegiate Baseball poll. The Bearcats advanced to the PBC Tournament for the third consecutive season and recorded back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time since 2005-06. Lander finished with 19 wins in conference play, breaking the school record of 18 set in 1999, 2001 and 2012.
Smith led the Bearcats to a 38-20 mark in 2012, breaking the school record for wins in a single season and earning the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Lander reached the Peach Belt Conference tournament championship game for the first time in school history and ended the season with a No. 25 national ranking. Junior right-handed pitcher Chris Thomas was named the PBC Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first Bearcat to ever receive a postseason conference award.
The Bearcats finished 29-24 in 2011 and advanced to the PBC Tournament for the first time since 1998. Smith became the first coach in Bearcat history to have a winning record in each of his first two seasons. Lander's 29 wins on the year were the most by the Bearcats since the 2006 campaign.
Smith's first season as head coach in 2010 saw the Bearcats compile a 24-23 record. Lander won nine of its first 10 games and swept a conference series for the first time since 2007.
Prior to joining the Bearcat program, Smith spent eight years as Belmont Abbey's head coach, and nine overall with the Crusaders. During his time there, Smith worked diligently to improve the team athletically and academically. In 2002, he became the youngest head coach in the nation at age 23. That year the team went 35-20, won the conference regular season championship, and just missed on a regional bid.
Smith's Crusaders, who reached the NCAA Division II World Series for the first time in school history in 2009, finished the season with a 40-26 record, and won the Carolinas Conference regular-season title with a 14-5 mark. They qualified for the Regionals by capturing their first-ever Conference Carolinas Tournament title, winning five games in a 48-hour period and having to beat Erskine twice for the championship. Smith was named the South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
In 2008, Smith led the Crusaders to a memorable year, finishing the season with a 41-22 record and a trip to the NCAA South Atlantic Regional. Six Crusaders were named all-conference and sophomore second baseman Alex Castellanos was drafted in the 10th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. The 41 wins set a school record, and the 2008 senior class became the winningest class in school history. The Crusaders also achieved the highest national ranking in the school's history until 2009, with a 26th national ranking.
In 2007, the Crusaders finished second in the nation with 78 home runs and third in the country in doubles with 141. Throughout the course of Smith's tenure, he has developed a reputation of being one of the best hitting coaches around. Smith has guided four hitters to All-American status, and 18 hitters and 26 players overall to all-conference seasons, and eight who have been named all-region.
Smith became the winningest coach in Belmont Abbey history on March 5, 2008.
Smith served as the chair for the Conference Carolinas coaches. He was also the chair for the Belmont Abbey coaches' council. Kermit was an active member of the community. He served as the head coach for the Gaston Braves American Legion team from 2002-2007, guiding them to a 99-62 record. He was also a regular as a speaker at major functions in the surrounding area.
Smith graduated from Pfeiffer University and received his master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania. He is a native of Arcadia, Fla. and is the son of Sue Ellen and the late George Kilpatrick Smith. Coach Smith and his wife Rebecca are the proud parents of two sons, Maddox Kilpatrick and Beckett Thomas Smith, and a daughter, Georgia Grace Smith.
