Entering his fifth year at the helm of the RedHawk program, head coach Tracy Smith is on the verge of building a baseball dynasty at Miami University. Just one season before Smith arrived in Oxford, Miami's baseball team suffered one of its worst seasons in the history of the program, finishing with a 12-40 mark.

However, in his four years at Miami, Smith has reached the Mid-American Conference Tournament finals three times, including capturing last year's championship. Smith has amassed a 134-104 (.563) career record and a Mid-American Conference regular-season record of 70-50 (.583). He became only the fourth baseball coach in Miami's history to register 100 wins, which occurred last year after Miami's 9-0 shutout against Hartford on March 14.

During Smith's era in Oxford, Miami players have been named to the all-MAC First Team six times, including last year's MAC Tournament MVP John Lackaff. In addition, 10 athletes have been recognized as academic all-MAC selections, including GTE academic all-American Tom Yost. Clark Mace and Chris Leonard both earned freshmen all-American status.

The 2000 Ohio College Coach of the Year, Smith guided the RedHawks to the Mid-American Conference championship game for the past three seasons. Smith made the third time the charm as he directed the 2000 squad to its first MAC Tournament Championship since 1983. Miami overwhelmed Ball State University 16-7 to capture the tournament crown. The RedHawks went on to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1983, playing at the Arizona State Regional where they were able to notch a victory over Creighton before bowing out to Arizona State and Texas.

After guiding Miami to one of its better records in school history in 1999, a 34-27 overall mark, Smith surpassed his career season-best win total in 2000, ending the season at 40-23. The 40 wins are the most for Miami since 1977, when the team won a school-record 45 contests. Smith also coached the RedHawks to 20 conference victories in a season.

A member of the Miami University Cradle of Coaches, Smith is very familiar with Miami's rich baseball tradition. A four-year letterwinner from 1985 through 1988, Smith was a shortstop, third baseman and pitcher for the Red and White. In 1988, Smith captained the team to a 37-22 mark, the fifth-highest single-season win total in Miami baseball history.

After graduation, Smith spent three seasons as a minor league pitcher and infielder in the Chicago Cubs organization from 1988-1990. Smith used this time to learn proper pitching mechanics and training techniques. He then acquired infielding skills, ideas for a hitting philosophy and techniques for outfield play when he stepped off the mound and became an infielder.

Smith began his coaching career in 1990 as head coach at the Miami University-Middletown campus. While there, he instructed both pitchers and position players and oversaw all baseball operations.

In the fall of 1992, Smith participated in the Major League Scouting Bureau's Professional Scout School as a representative of the Chicago Cubs. While there, he learned the techniques used by professional scouts to evaluate potential student-athletes and established efficient methods for organizing future recruiting efforts.

Smith was an assistant coach at Miami for the 1993 and 1994 seasons. During that time he served as hitting instructor and worked with infielders and outfielders.

Before returning to Miami as the head coach, Smith spent two seasons as the pitching coach at Indiana University. In Smith's final season, the Hoosiers boasted the lowest ERA in the Big Ten, won the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the 1996 NCAA Midwest Regional. Three of Smith's pitchers were chosen in the major league draft in 1996.

This year Smith is working primarily with the pitching staff.

This year Smith is working primarily with the pitching staff.

Smith, 35, earned his bachelor's degree in education from Miami in 1989 and completed a master's degree in sport organization in 1992.

Tracy and his wife, Jaime, reside in Oxford with their sons Casey (11), Ty (7), and Jack (4).