Mike Vukovcan It’s very ironic that as I was preparing to write this story, I saw a tweet posted by former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.
“My first manager, Gary Blaylock, taught me that elite performers work hard every single day, not just when they feel like it.
Hopewell softball and youth baseball is sponsored by Lisa McCoy, your neighborhood State Farm agent.
Hard work becomes contagious, spreading through a team like wildfire. You might not win every time, but without putting in the work, you’re already defeated.
“Hard work doesn’t guarantee success; however, you not working hard will guarantee *not having success.
So, roll up your sleeves and get after it, your future self will thank you!”
The reason I found this ironic is that I was going to be writing about a Hopewell athlete that exemplifies this very tweet.
While I can’t guarantee he’s No. 1, I can guarantee you that there isn’t an athlete in Hopewell that’s worked harder to have success than Hopewell HS starting catcher Charlie Smetana.
For the last 2 years, Smetana has worked hard, 7-days a week hard, to make himself a better athlete and in turn a better baseball player. Whether it’s lifting weights, running, eating properly, getting in the gym working on various drills, Smetana has done it.
The purpose of this has been for two reasons- 1) make himself a better baseball player, which in turns makes the Hopewell HS team better. 2) with the long-term goal/dream of earning himself a college scholarship. Smetana is obsessed with not making these next two seasons the last two years of baseball he ever plays.
Charlie’s work behind the plate is advanced as evidenced by the fact that he’s been Hopewell’s starting catcher since his freshman season. For that particular position, having the trust of the head coach to start as a freshman is rare.
However, to become a college prospect, Smetana knew that he needed to improve up on his offensive game and improve slightly on his defensive work, which is already strong.
Well, thanks to the hard work that I referenced, part of that mission has been accomplished.
Over the weekend, took part in a PBR Baseball Showcase for members of the Beaver Valley Baseball Travel Organization. To use a football analogy, the PBR Baseball Showcase is the equivalent to a ‘Pro Day’ that college players take part in at their respective school that NFL scouts attend and watch them workout, run, lift and use their results as they formulate their plan for the draft.
During this PBR Showcase, players run a get a 30-time, the catcher velo, your pop time and exit velocity. For those not aware of those terms:
Exit Velocity (Batting)– how fast the ball is traveling after it’s hit off the bat. Metric indicates power.
Pop Time- time is takes the catcher from the time the ball hits his glove, until it reaches second base.
Catcher Velocity– how fast a catcher can throw a baseball (MPH) from the catching position (when a ball is being pitched to him).
2026 C/RHP Charlie Smetana (Hopewell, PA); 5-11, 175 lbs.
Exit Velo: 96
C Velo: 78
Pop: 2.13-2.18Compact swing with advanced barrel control. Balanced approach led to loud contact from gap-to-gap. Looked the part defensively with accurate, upper-70’s throws from the crouch.… pic.twitter.com/1x4iex931v
— Prep Baseball Pennsylvania (@PrepBaseballPA) February 2, 2025
Smetana took part in this last season, which was a first for him, and made noticeable improvement from a year ago. This sort of improvement will no doubt catch the eye of college scouts.
Exit Velocity:
2024: 88 MPH
2025: 96 MPH
Pop Time:
2024: 2.25
2025: 2.13
Catcher Velo:
2024: 76 MPH
2025:Â 78 MPH
“I was just relieved when I saw the results,” Smetana tells Vikings Sports Now. “I was hoping to get something in the mid 90’s.”
“In terms of my bat velocity, I’d say the No. 1 thing that helped was getting bigger. Last year, I was 170-pounds and this year I’m 200-pounds. So, I put on close to 30-pounds (of good weight) in the offseason. Another factor was that my lifts (weight room) got a lot better. As far as the pop time, that’s a result of a lot more explosive workouts, like box jumping and squatting, which helped a lot.”
All of these improvements will become evident when the Vikings Baseball team open the 2025 season later this spring. After going through some growing pains in 2024, the nucleus of the roster returns which means big things are possible.
The entire Vikings baseball program started workouts in January and Smetana is excited to see how far this year’s team can advance.
“I’m really excited about our pitching staff, as we really don’t lose any pitchers from last year,” said Smetana. “A lot of our returning starters return and learned a lot after having seen and went up against varsity pitching last season.”
Head coach Morgan Singletary and Hopewell open up the 2025 season on March 14th against Shenango.
