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Jersey Number 16
Paul Smith
- Height:
- 5-11
- Weight:
- 218
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Houston, Texas
- High School:
- Episcopal
Honors at Rice
2026: Led the Owls in homers (13), RBI (49), total bases (111), slugging (.563), and walks (37) in his first season as a full-time starter, primarily as the DH (52 games)… Also made three starts at first base… Ranked sixth in the conference with 13 homers on the season and ninth in the American with five homers in conference games…. Rice was 9-2 when he homered… Tied for fourth with 20 walks in conference games… Hit .333 and hit nine of his 13 home runs at Reckling Park, including a pair of two-homer games (vs. Harvard on 2/27, and vs. UAB on 5/2)… Followed his two-homer game vs. Harvard in the first game of the doubleheader with another in the bottom of the eighth in the nightcap to break a 1-1 tie and give the Owls a 2-1 win… Six of his 13 homers put Rice in the lead… In addition to Harvard, he also hit three home runs vs. UAB, hitting a pair at Reckling Park on 5/2 and then another in Clearwater and the American Conference Championship in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game 5-5… Slammed a three-run homer and walked four times in five plate appearances at Grand Canyon on 3/13… Hit .325 and slugged .615 from the left side… Had one six-game RBI streak and a pair of five-game streaks and drove in 47 runs in his last 50 games… Moved into the starting lineup last season in the final game of the UAB series in 2025 and has hit .300 with 14 homers and 58 RBI in 71 games (74x246).
2025: Became an offensive spark for the Owls over the final three weeks after opening the year as the bullpen catcher… Hit in 12 of 16 games, including nine of 12 starts, ending the year at .340… Singled as a pinch hitter vs. UTRGV on 4/2 in his first at bat since 2023 and collected a second pinch hit in his next at bat (Houston on 4/15)… Came on defensively at UAB on 4/27 and was 1x2 and was in the starting lineup the next afternoon… Was 4x4 against the Blazers with two RBI and three doubles as the Owls rallied to take the final game of the series… First Owl to have three doubles in a conference game since Tristan Gray in 2017… Hit a solo homer vs. Charlotte on 5/2 in the bottom of the eighth to extend Rice’s lead to 2-0 in Davion Hickson’s one-hit shutout of the 49ers… Added two-hit games vs. Prairie View, and at UTSA on 5/15 & 16… Drove in runs in both games of the AAC Championship.
2024: Moved to the mound during the fall but did not appear in a game.
2023: Appeared in 31 games and made 24 starts as a freshman (16 as the DH and eight at catcher) ... Made his debut with a start at DH vs. Louisiana on 2/18 and he walked four times which remained the season high all year … Drove in his first career run in the same game with a ground out … Collected his first two hits vs. Sam Houston on 2/22 ... Made his first start at catcher in the 2nd game of the doubleheader at Stanford on 2/25 and was 2x3 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored … Had his first career three-hit game on 3/28 at Lamar ... Hit .250 (2x8) in the home series with UTSA with his first career homer and a team-leading three RBI.
Prior to Rice: All SPC selection and team MVP at Episcopal for coach Matt Fox as the Knights finished the year 23-9, losing in the SPC title game… Houston Chronicle hitter of the year for private schools after hitting .540 with six homers. 14 doubles and five triples while driving in 47 runs in 32 games.
Duncan College
- C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll, 2023
- 2026 All-Silver Glove team
2026: Led the Owls in homers (13), RBI (49), total bases (111), slugging (.563), and walks (37) in his first season as a full-time starter, primarily as the DH (52 games)… Also made three starts at first base… Ranked sixth in the conference with 13 homers on the season and ninth in the American with five homers in conference games…. Rice was 9-2 when he homered… Tied for fourth with 20 walks in conference games… Hit .333 and hit nine of his 13 home runs at Reckling Park, including a pair of two-homer games (vs. Harvard on 2/27, and vs. UAB on 5/2)… Followed his two-homer game vs. Harvard in the first game of the doubleheader with another in the bottom of the eighth in the nightcap to break a 1-1 tie and give the Owls a 2-1 win… Six of his 13 homers put Rice in the lead… In addition to Harvard, he also hit three home runs vs. UAB, hitting a pair at Reckling Park on 5/2 and then another in Clearwater and the American Conference Championship in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game 5-5… Slammed a three-run homer and walked four times in five plate appearances at Grand Canyon on 3/13… Hit .325 and slugged .615 from the left side… Had one six-game RBI streak and a pair of five-game streaks and drove in 47 runs in his last 50 games… Moved into the starting lineup last season in the final game of the UAB series in 2025 and has hit .300 with 14 homers and 58 RBI in 71 games (74x246).
2025: Became an offensive spark for the Owls over the final three weeks after opening the year as the bullpen catcher… Hit in 12 of 16 games, including nine of 12 starts, ending the year at .340… Singled as a pinch hitter vs. UTRGV on 4/2 in his first at bat since 2023 and collected a second pinch hit in his next at bat (Houston on 4/15)… Came on defensively at UAB on 4/27 and was 1x2 and was in the starting lineup the next afternoon… Was 4x4 against the Blazers with two RBI and three doubles as the Owls rallied to take the final game of the series… First Owl to have three doubles in a conference game since Tristan Gray in 2017… Hit a solo homer vs. Charlotte on 5/2 in the bottom of the eighth to extend Rice’s lead to 2-0 in Davion Hickson’s one-hit shutout of the 49ers… Added two-hit games vs. Prairie View, and at UTSA on 5/15 & 16… Drove in runs in both games of the AAC Championship.
2024: Moved to the mound during the fall but did not appear in a game.
2023: Appeared in 31 games and made 24 starts as a freshman (16 as the DH and eight at catcher) ... Made his debut with a start at DH vs. Louisiana on 2/18 and he walked four times which remained the season high all year … Drove in his first career run in the same game with a ground out … Collected his first two hits vs. Sam Houston on 2/22 ... Made his first start at catcher in the 2nd game of the doubleheader at Stanford on 2/25 and was 2x3 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored … Had his first career three-hit game on 3/28 at Lamar ... Hit .250 (2x8) in the home series with UTSA with his first career homer and a team-leading three RBI.
Prior to Rice: All SPC selection and team MVP at Episcopal for coach Matt Fox as the Knights finished the year 23-9, losing in the SPC title game… Houston Chronicle hitter of the year for private schools after hitting .540 with six homers. 14 doubles and five triples while driving in 47 runs in 32 games.
Duncan College
Wednesday, March 09
Saturday, December 04
Thursday, December 02
