Fans of the Collinsville High School softball team and other teams in the area took notice of the great year Kassidy Smith had this season as she was blistering opponents with her potent bat.

Kassidy Smith rounds the bases after setting the Kahoks single-season home run record (9) / Photo by Sherry Holten

The Illinois Coaches Association noticed as well. Smith is a member of the ICA’s second-team All-State softball team.

Collinsville Head Coach Cindy Kolda said Smith deserves all the recognition she has been given.

“It just goes to show that hard work pays off,” Kolda said. “To do it as a sophomore is pretty remarkable.”

Smith led the Kahoks in average, home runs, RBI, doubles and hits 2014. In 118 at bats, she had 54 hits, good for a .458 batting average.

She also knocked 12 home runs and 11 extra-base hits – nine doubles and two triples. She drove in 40 runs while scoring 25.

Smith’s strikeouts per plate appearance was a microscopic .022, striking out just three times. She drew 13 walks and was hit six times. Her 103 total bases, in 36 games, and .873 slugging percentage were tops in the conference.

Smith, the only Kahok on either the first-, second- or third-team All-State, is also leaving her mark on Collinsville’s record books.

Her 12 home runs in 2014 were four more than the previous school record of eight, set in 2011 by Rachel Scrum and Hailey Jones.

Smith’s 15 career home runs are tied for the CHS career record with Jones. The sophomore has two more years to take the career home run record to new heights.