The 2025 season will be Ryan Smoot’s 3rd season at Winthrop overseeing the Eagles’ offense and catchers. Smoot arrived in Rock Hill in January of 2023, and helped the Eagles to a Top 3 finish in both the Big South Regular Season and Conference Tournament.
In 2024, the Eagles' offense saw significant improvements in power despite fielding one of the youngest line-ups in the country (60% of at-bats from freshman & sophomores). Freshman Jaylen Hernandez hit 15 doubles (most from a Winthrop hitter in 5 years) and 7 home runs in-route to being named to the All-Conference Freshman team. The sophomore trio of Charlie Evans, Harrison Wilson, and Nicholas Badillo slugged 20 home runs and 24 doubles, more than doubling their total from 2023. Overall, Winthrop hitters saw increases in home runs (2nd most in BBCOR era), doubles, slugging percentage, and set a school record for hit-by-pitches (86).
In 2023, Smoot's first in Rock Hill, the Eagles’ offense saw improvements in batting average, doubles, stolen bases, walks, strikeouts/game and runs. Six Winthrop hitters finished the season with a batting average over .300 with outfielder Ricky Teel leading the Big South Conference in batting average (.411) during league play. Outfielder Brody Hopkins was named 1st-Team All-Conference and catcher Nicholas Badillo was named to the All-Conference Freshman team. Hopkins was drafted in the 6th round of the MLB draft in July by the Seattle Mariners
Prior to Winthrop, Smoot spent two and a half years at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., working with the Mountaineers’ catchers, and assisting with hitters and baserunners. While at App, Mountaineer catchers consistently performed at the top of the Sun Belt Conference in all defensive statistics (passed balls per game, wild pitches per game, caught stealing percentage, and fielding percentage). In 2022, catcher Hayden Cross was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team. Smoot was also a part of App State’s best Sun Belt Conference record in school-history in 2021, and best two finishes in school history at the Conference Tournament in 2021 & 2022.
While in Boone, Smoot managed the Boone Bigfoots, currently in the Coastal Plains League. In the first two seasons in the organization’s history, Smoot complied a 54-17 record and won the league championship in 2021.
Prior to App State, Smoot spent one season at George Washington University in 2020. While at GW, Smoot worked with Colonials’ catchers, and assisted with hitters, including outfielder Cade Fergus, who was drafted in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Smoot is a 2019 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va., where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business. Smoot was a four-year letter-winner starting over 50 games behind the plate his senior season, leading the Southern Conference in on-base percentage.
Smoot is a native of Strasburg, Va, and the son of Jeff and Libby Smoot. Jeff Smoot was a long-time high school baseball coach at Strasburg High School in Virginia winning over 500 games from 1982-2016. Ryan was married in 2023 to his wife, Alyssa.
