Glencoe High School junior Colton-Kyi Smith has grown up around baseball stories, but one has shaped the way he plays the game today. His dad once hit a grand slam his junior year to send his team to the state tournament, and that moment, along with his father’s constant encouragement, has become a driving force behind Smith’s own journey on the diamond.
Smith, an 11th-grade catcher for Glencoe, said his father is the person who inspires him most, both in sports and in life. “He is the reason I play baseball,” Smith said. “He played baseball, he hit a grand slam his junior year to go to the state tournament, he is always there to encourage me through hard times and even the easy times.” That steady support has helped Smith embrace the demanding role behind the plate.
Catching is a position that requires toughness, leadership and a willingness to absorb the grind of a long season. For Smith, the hardest part is the physical toll that comes with squatting inning after inning and battling through bumps and bruises. Still, he welcomes the challenge and takes pride in handling the pitching staff and staying locked in on every pitch, especially when he gets the chance to drive a hanging curveball, his favorite pitch to hit.
In the classroom, Smith gravitates toward agriculture, listing ag as his favorite subject. That interest lines up with his life away from the field, where he enjoys spending his free time hunting. The same patience and discipline that serve him well in the woods show up in his approach to baseball and in the way he carries himself as a teammate.
Smith said the best unwritten rule in baseball is simple: no excessive celebration. He believes in playing with emotion but also with respect, something he sees reflected in Glencoe’s focus on sportsmanship. “We are a small team where there’s no bullying,” Smith said. “The sportsmanship we have for each other” is what he enjoys most about being part of the program.
That team-first attitude extends to the dugout, where different personalities help keep the energy up over the course of a season. Smith points to Kyler as the most vocal teammate and Carson as the one who keeps everyone laughing. From his vantage point behind the plate, Smith leans on a simple lesson he plans to carry long after high school baseball ends: believe in yourself, never give up and have confidence.
