Gage Smart Award Male Athlete of the Week Week Of 5/13/2019 Sport American Rivers Conference School Buena Vista University Year Junior Position Hometown Indianola, Iowa High School Indianola Male Athlete of the Week – Baseball – Pitcher of the Week Gage Smart, Buena Vista University Jr. RHP, Indianola, Iowa/Indianola Smart came on in relief to close out all three games of the American Rivers Conference tournament, helping the Beavers claim the program’s third conference title. He picked up saves in each of the first two games. He entered the game against Luther with two outs and the bases empty in the eighth of a 1-0 game and got a ground out, then worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to leave the tying run at third base. With BVU leading 4-0 in Friday's semifinal win over Coe, he entered in the ninth with runners at 1stand 2nd and no outs and proceeded to get all 3 batters he faced out to help the Beavers advance to the title game. Smart worked the final two innings of the championship and allowed just a single. His two saves give him eight on the year and move him into a tie for 2nd all-time in BVU single-season history. With the tournament title BVU earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Buena Vista heads to the Concordia Chicago for a regional-round, first game match-up. This is Smart’s first Pitcher of the Week honor.
