With Nazareth’s season on the brink, Lucas Smith was ready to do what he does best.
The date was June 2, 2022, and the Roadrunners were one strike away from elimination in the semifinals of the Class 3A St. Laurence Sectional.
Trying to preserve a one-run lead with the bases loaded and two outs, Lemont pitcher Brandon Johnson had Smith in a two-strike hole. Smith, however, had Johnson right where he wanted him.
Smith, Nazareth’s leadoff hitter, thrives on that type of situation.
Smith grounded a sharp single to left to score Luca Fiore and Finn O’Meara to give Nazareth a stunning 6-5 victory. The Roadrunners had trailed 5-0 before scoring three runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh.
“That was awesome,” Smith said. “I don’t think anything can compare to that in terms of my baseball experiences. Coming through in a moment like that just means everything because as a team we put in so much work in the offseason and during season.
“To come through for my team like that, it’s a blessing to be able to have that situation happen to me.”
Smith’s clutch hit was arguably the most important in program history because the Roadrunners captured their first state championship nine days later by beating Chatham Glenwood 5-1 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
The title was cathartic for a program that had reached the state finals four previous times since 2011 but had lost in the semifinals three times and the championship game once.
“Winning a state championship for the program is a big deal,” Smith said. “There have been guys who have been close before, and it’s a great feeling to be able to win a state championship for those guys and the guys that are coming after.”
Mr. Clutch
Nazareth coach Lee Milano was not surprised to see Smith deliver. The UIC recruit had four walk-off hits, including a home run, last season.
“He sets the table for us,” Milano said. “That’s what he does.”
Now a senior, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Smith has been setting the table — and sometimes clearing it — for a long time. Milano said Smith, a center fielder, would have been a starter as a freshman, but that season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We only had a week and a half of practice,” Milano said. “He’s been out there ever since.”
Milano first saw Smith, a Hinsdale resident, in the summer of 2019 but already knew of his talent.
“I knew he was a good ballplayer, but I really got to see him firsthand in our summer camp prior to his freshman year,” Milano said. “He definitely stood out, so I put him out there on the varsity field and let him take some BP. The ball was flying off his bat. It was definitely different than pretty much a lot of freshmen that we would see.”
The plate wasn’t the only place where Smith flashed his potential that summer. He did it in the outfield too.
“It’s very rare that anyone comes into high school as a true outfielder,” Milano said. “You see them play middle infielder, catcher and pitcher, but he was a true outfielder, so that was definitely another separator for him coming in.”
Smith has been separating himself from the pack all along. As a sophomore, he batted .374 in 149 plate appearances, scoring 45 runs and driving in 26 runs.
In 2022, Smith again had 26 RBIs but increased his average to .444 in 156 plate appearances, with 17 doubles, three triples and three home runs. He scored 44 runs.
Nazareth junior shortstop Cooper Malamazian first played baseball with Smith as a 10-year-old on a 12U travel team. They played on different youth teams after that before reuniting at Nazareth two years ago, when Malamazian made the varsity as a freshman.
Malamazian, an Indiana recruit, hits in the No. 2 hole in the Roadrunners’ lineup, so he has an up-close view of Smith’s at-bats.
“I’ve never seen a better leadoff hitter than him,” Malamazian said. “He starts the game with a hit almost all the time. He’s one of the best hitters I’ve seen. He’s so consistent, and he’s got speed.
“He’s always fighting during at-bats, he never strikes out a lot and he always finds the barrel of the bat. There’s no one else I’d rather be hitting behind.”
Like most good leadoff hitters, Smith will draw his fair share of walks. But being patient at the plate isn’t exactly his thing.
“I’m always attacking,” he said. “That’s the one thing I think I do really well is I try to attack. That’s my approach when I’m up there, just attack fastballs and try to get on any way possible.”
Smith also helps his teammates try to do the same thing. He’ll often share his knowledge of opposing pitchers.
“The rare times he gets out, he’ll always tell me what the pitcher is doing, whether he’s straight or if he’s on the off-speed pitches,” Malamazian said. “He always gets a good read on how I can go up there and have a good approach against them. He’s always figuring out that kind of stuff. He’s a very visionary leadoff hitter.”
Despite his speed, Smith doesn’t present a vision of the old-school, wiry leadoff hitter. He has always been muscular and has consistently added weight every year.
“He’s a really strong kid,” Milano said. “He’s definitely put together.”
That’s by design, as well as genetics.
“I’ve always been kind of a bigger kid, but for the past three to four years in high school I’ve really focused on getting in the weight room, getting big and getting strong,” Smith said. “I think weights are really important for baseball.”
Attention to detail
There’s nothing about baseball that Smith doesn’t appreciate. He’s a student of the game and has been since he began playing T-ball when he was in kindergarten.
“Ever since I started playing baseball, I’ve just loved every single aspect of the game,” Smith said. “There is so much you can learn from it, in life and in just everything really.”
Smith’s family ties in the sport run deep. His grandfather, Ike Lucas, played college baseball at Houston, as did his cousin Gabe Lucas. Another cousin, Mason Lucas, was a bullpen catcher at Houston and is an assistant coach there.
But physical talent can take you only so far. Smith has other traits.
“One of my biggest strengths as a baseball player, obviously, I would say, is hitting, but I think my mental game is really good,” he said. “I’m always pretty even-keeled on the field, always stay calm and collected.
“Let’s say you’re 0-for-3 for the day. It’s so easy to look at that and be like, ‘Oh, no, I’ve got to get a hit now.’ But you just have to forget all about the past and focus on the present.”
Past, present and future all look rosy for Smith, who hopes to do for UIC what he has done for Nazareth.
“I think UIC is an up-and-coming program,” he said. “They just moved into the Missouri Valley, which is a big step up. The coaching staff is a great bunch of guys, and I just like what they’re doing over there.”
The Flames’ roster includes Nazareth alums Ryan Smith (no relation) and Bobby Grimes, so Milano is familiar with their program. Smith, who committed a year ago, might have garnered offers from bigger schools, but Milano said UIC will be a good fit.
“He definitely had some good looks, but I think UIC is a great program,” Milano said. “You can’t beat the facility they have, and there is stability in the program.”
There is stability in Nazareth’s program, too, and lately Smith has been a key reason for it. He is the only senior starter for a young team that includes five other Division I commits in Malamazian; juniors Nick Drtina (Louisville), John Hughes (North Carolina) and David Cox (Northwestern); and sophomore Jaden Fauske (Louisville).
“He’s been around for four years, so it’s pretty easy for him to know what I’m thinking, and he executes what we want done,” Milano said of Smith. “He’s a fundamental player.
“He can run well, he’s got a nice arm and he hits gap to gap. I think when the weather warms up, he’ll obviously hit some home runs.”
Smith’s talents nearly defy description.
“He’s just a gamer,” Malamazian said. “There’s no other way to put it.”
Asked if he styles his game after any particular player, Smith had an interesting reply.
“There’s so many great MLB players, but I want to create my own legacy, my own style of play,” he said. “I don’t want to be really compared to anyone else. I want to be known as Lucas Smith.”
Smith has continued making a name for himself this season. Through Sunday, he was hitting .395 with 11 doubles, five triples, a home run, 22 RBIs and 27 runs scored.
The Roadrunners (20-4) won their first 17 games to extend their winning streak to 34 before losing four of six.
Milano and his players are focused on the next game, with Smith trying to enjoy every minute of his final high school season.
“It’s been great so far,” Smith said. “There’s a great group of guys on this team. Looking back on freshman year, if I would give anybody advice, it would be to enjoy all of it. It flies by in the blink of an eye, so I’m just trying to enjoy every single game this year and just play my game.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
