BALTIMORE – Coppin State softball student-athlete Danielle Smith enjoyed sharing her skills and intricate knowledge of the sport she loves with 100 girls from the Baltimore Orioles RBI program earlier in the week.
The third annual youth softball clinic was held Sunday, June 29 at the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Family Center Y on the Ripken Youth Development Field, located on the same site where venerable Memorial Stadium once stood.
Coppin State’s softball program partnered with the Orioles and the Y of Central Maryland. In addition to being instructed on the fundamentals of the game by Smith, the young ladies also learned lessons from Oriole shortstop J.J. Hardy and his wife, Adrienne, a four-year starter and two-time NCAA softball champion at the University of Arizona.
Coppin State’s involvement was spearheaded by coaches Larry Hineline and Leon Stewart.
“It’s nice to give back,” said Smith, who will be a junior this year. “This is the second year in a row that I’ve been involved with this program. It’s a great opportunity to interact with girls who are eager to learn and want to one day play the sport. I enjoyed speaking with the program participants and representing Coppin State.”
The girls of the Orioles RBI program learned from one of the best players in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In two years, Smith has established herself as one of the top all-around performers in the conference. She set Coppin State’s single-season record for hits as a freshman with 49.
This season Smith was named to the All-MEAC softball academic team and to the MEAC Commissioner’s All-Academic team. She played in 26 games before suffering a season-ending injury against Delaware State. Smith finished with a .297 average and had 22 hits. For the season, Smith had a .373 on-base percentage and a .365 slugging percentage. She also scored 17 runs. Her contributions helped the Eagles qualify for the MEAC softball tournament for the fifth straight season.
“The event was very successful as far as the girls learning something from the clinic,” Stewart said. “Coach Hineline did an excellent job of ensuring our participation in this event and making sure everything was organized well. J.J. Hardy really impressed me because he wasn’t just there, he looked like his heart was into the event and he really wanted to help somebody. That was good to see.”
RBI is a youth outreach program that is designed to promote interest in baseball, increase the self-esteem of disadvantaged children, and encourage kids to stay in school and stay off the streets. The program is a national Major League Baseball initiative administered and financially supported by the Orioles at a local level.
The Orioles also provide additional unique experiences for participants, including hosting team members at inner city youth clinics involving current and former players providing instruction, as well as hosting all participants to watch a game at Oriole Park and providing them with game tickets, bus transportation, concessions, hats and t-shirts. Winners of each division are presented trophies during a pre-game ceremony at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.