A Clifton Park native and junior at Binghamton University, Smith powered the Bearcats to their first NCAA Tournament appearance this spring and in the process was named America East Pitcher of the Year.
That was just the beginning.
Smith, a 2006 Shenendehowa High School graduate, received the biggest individual thrill of his baseball career on Wednesday when the Oakland Athletics selected him in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
"I was tracking the draft on the computer and when I saw my name I just started to get goose bumps," Smith said. "This is absolutely a dream come true. It shows how hard work can really pay off. I'm so pumped up right now."
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"I figured I could go anywhere from the 10th to the 20th round," Smith said. "The Oakland regional scout had seen me a few times this spring and he'd talked to me a bit. I had an idea the A's were one of the teams that were interested."
Smith is the second-highest draft choice in Binghamton history; Dan Gray was selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1990.
"It's a great day for Murphy, his family and our baseball program here at Binghamton University," Bearcats head coach Tim Sinicki said. "It's been an absolute pleasure watching Murph work as hard as he has over the past three years to put himself in this position. Whether he decides to sign with Oakland or return to school, everyone associated with our baseball program wants nothing but the best for Murph and his family."
Smith made tremendous strides this spring after going 6-4 with a 4.09 ERA as a sophomore and showing glimpses of his potential.
"My curveball was more consistent and I was a lot stronger and more aggressive this year," Smith said. "I attacked, got ahead in the count and put guys away when I had the advantage. I had a lot of 0-2 counts this year to work with. That was the biggest difference. I wasn't nibbling."
Shenendehowa head coach Jim Carrese was not surprised by Smith being drafted or his success on the collegiate level.
"Murphy has always been very competitive and he comes from a big baseball family," Carrese said. "He's got a tremendous work ethic and the best curveball I've seen in the 30 years I've been around high school baseball."
Murphy was one of three Smith brothers pitching on the Division I level this season. His older brother, Trevor, was 5-2 with a 3.92 ERA at Northeastern, while Murphy's younger brother, Morgan, made 19 appearances out of the Binghamton bullpen this season.
"We were always competitive with each other growing up and I think that helped us improve and gave all of us a good work ethic," Smith said of his relationship with his brothers. "We've always been supportive of each other and they're really happy for me today."
Smith said he will take his time before making a decision on whether to sign with Oakland or return for his senior season.
"I'm sure both options have their pros and cons, so I'm going to take my time with it and discuss things with my family and make an informed decision," Smith said. "I'm just going to enjoy it for a little while right now."
Saratoga Phillies drafted
Four former Saratoga Phillies have been selected so far in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Three of the players - pitchers Miles Mikotas and Mike Fiers and outfielder J.D. Martinez - played for the Phillies in 2008 out of Division II power Nova Southeastern University.
Mikotas was drafted in the seventh round (No. 204) by the San Diego Padres. The right-hander was 7-2 with a 2.06 ERA and struck out 80 while walking only eight in 2009.
Fiers, who played for Saratoga during each of the past two summers, was taken in the 24th round (No. 676) by the Milwaukee Brewers. Fiers, who tossed a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts for the Phillies in 2007, was 10-3 with a 2.65 ERA and led Division II with 145 strikeouts in 108 innings this past season.
Martinez was selected in the 20th round by the Houston Astros and will likely be assigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats in the New York-Penn League is he signs. He batted .428 with 15 home runs and 57 RBI this past season.
Caraway, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Virginia, played with Saratoga in 2007. He posted an 8-1 record and 4.13 ERA for the Cavaliers this season with 71 strikeouts in 85 innings.
