Shelbyville’s Aiden Smith commits to Kentucky
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — For Shelbyville’s Aiden Smith, the decision to sign a letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Kentucky wasn’t much of a decision at all.
It was a no brainer.
“Kentucky was the first school to reach out to me, and it wasn’t just one of their coaches, it was all of their coaches, and all of them showed a ton of interest in me, and that really stuck out,” Aiden said
I spoke with Aiden over the phone, and was immediately impressed with his maturity and confidence. The hard throwing right-handed pitcher is ranked sixth in the state for the class of 2026 by Prep Baseball Report, and said he chose Kentucky over 35 other schools who showed interest. In the end, it was the Wildcats’ coaching staff, the school’s success in the SEC, its recent run to the College World Series, and the school’s proximity that won him over.
“For me, it’s also an easy drive,” Aiden said. “Two hours and 20 minutes, and it’s a pretty straight shot.”
Aiden is one of several Indiana players who committed to play in Lexington, including Chesterton’s Rob
Czarniecki, Aiden’s travel ball teammate with the Indiana Bulls.
“He committed a couple of days before me, but we had talked to each other throughout the whole process,” Aiden said. “And we’re planning on being roommates. So, we already have that figured out.”
Aiden, who also plays tennis for Shelbyville High School, credits his parents, his coaches and his offseason work with private pitching coach, Anthony Gomez with PRP (Passion Resilience Process), for his success.
“I started going there freshman year and worked my butt off all winter, and got really strong in the weight room,” Aiden said. “I had made a velo jump from 80 to 88 miles per hour in one year”
Aiden now tops out at 93 miles per hour, and is a potential MLB draft pick after his senior year. But for now, his focus is on high school and his commitment to Kentucky.
“It’s a huge reality, but we’ll see what happens.” Aiden said, “It’s just really cool to see how all the hard work has paid off.”
Gotta love that attitude. Well done, Aiden!