(Windsor, Ontario) – Longtime St. Clair College Women’s Softball Coach Bill Smith will be enshrined into the Ontario College Athletic Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony May 8th hosted at the Holiday Inn Toronto International Airport. Smith will be just the fifth intercollegiate coach in St. Clair’s history to be inducted into the OCAA’s Hall of Fame and be part of a class of five coaches across the association to be included this year. The bi-annual event will also induct five builders and fifteen athletes this year.
Smith helped launch the St. Clair College Fastball (as it was named in 2002) program and was an ideal candidate to serve as its first head coach. Smith was heavily involved in the development of Softball at the grassroots level in the Windsor community and brought that care and expertise to the collegiate program at St. Clair. Over 11 seasons he was a dedicated and organized coach who put the players first while imparting an integrity that still resonates today.
After starting the program from scratch Smith won nearly 70% of his regular season games and led the Saints to 8 OCAA medals including the first 3 Provincial Championships in the history of the team. He was instrumental in delivering the program on the campus assisting in the improvement of the diamond and facilities. He was a central figure in St. Clair’s ability to host 3 OCAA Championships as well as a CCSA National Championship tournament. Smith was well respected amongst his peers winning 4 OCAA Coach of the Year Awards as well as earning 2 Inter-Collegiate Coach of the Year Awards at St. Clair College.
Smith continued his involvement with St. Clair Athletics after his coaching career establishing a scholarship fund to assist in the recruitment of future Saints softball players. In addition, Smith has been the official Saints photographer since 2005 suppling first rate images across the entire varsity program including Provincial and National Championship play.
See below a list of Smith’s accolades and accomplishments.
- Became 1st St. Clair Softball Head Coach when program was launched in 2002
- Saints Head Coach for 11 Seasons
- 86-40 OCAA Regular Season Record (0.683 Winning %)
- 120-88-1 Overall Record (Including league, playoffs, tournaments and exhibition games)
- Qualified for 11 OCAA Championship Tournaments (18 Total Wins)
- 8-Time OCAA Medalist
- 3-Time OCAA Gold Medalist (2005, 2008, 2009)
- 2-Time OCAA Silver Medalist (2006, 2010)
- 3-Time OCAA Bronze Medalist (2007, 2011, 2012)
- 1 Regular Season Pennant (2007)
- Hosted OCAA Provincial Championship 3 Times (2003, 2006, 2008)
- Participated in 3 Canadian Collegiate Softball Association National Championship Tournaments
- Hosted 2011 Canadian Collegiate Softball Association National Championship Tournament (1/4 Finalist)
- 4-Time OCAA Coach of the Year (2002, 2003, 2009, 2011)
- 2-Time St. Clair College Inter-Collegiate Coach of the Year (2002-03 & 2005-06)
- Coached 22 OCAA League All-Stars
- Coached 3 OCAA Player of the Year Award Winners (Sara Smith ’03, Lindsay Verkoeyen ’05, Candice Gatecliffe ’07)
- Coached 1 Batting Champion (Trisha Whaley ’07)
- Coached 3 Pitcher of the Year Award Winners (Lauren Smith ’05, Kandice Bagley ’07, Samantha Newton ’10)
- Coached 4 OCAA Rookie of the Year Award Winners (Lauren Smith ’05, Keri Bagley ’07, Samantha Newton ’09, Lyndsay Schincariol ’10)