As a kid, former major league pitcher Jason Schmidt rode his bike to elementary school along a path that took him through the campus of Lower Columbia College and its iconic baseball diamond, Story Field. As he pedaled past the stadium, he kept a close lookout for something special: lost baseballs from batting practice or games.
“I would collect baseballs,” he said. “I had buckets and buckets of baseballs.”
That hobby later turned into a passion for the game itself, as Schmidt became a dominant high school pitcher who earned the attention of professional baseball and an athletic scholarship offer from the University of Arizona. After graduating from Kelso High School in 1991, Schmidt was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and decided to forgo college to play pro ball in the minor leagues. He made it to the majors with Atlanta and Pittsburgh but his career soared after being traded to the San Francisco Giants, where he was selected to three All-Star games and pitched in the 2002 World Series. He also finished second in the 2003 Cy Young Award voting that honors the National League’s top pitcher.
Schmidt’s childhood baseball connection to LCC began to grow when he attended a summer youth baseball camp operated by Red Devils coach Steve Farrington. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
“He had taken a liking to me at this baseball camp,” Schmidt said. “We’re still great friends to this day.”
That relationship opened opportunities for Schmidt to develop his skills by spending time around the highly successful LCC baseball program. Though he no longer lived nearby, Schmidt was a regular visitor who spent many early mornings in the LCC weight room before heading to classes at Kelso High. The college also opened its doors to other local athletes who needed an indoor place to work out during the wet winter months, when Schmidt would sharpen his pitching by throwing to high school and college players. He said those opportunities and the guidance he received from Farrington helped prepare him for his professional baseball career.
“Without him, I don’t know where I would be,” Schmidt said. “Not going to college and having the college baseball experience, getting to work out with those guys in the off season prepared me for the minor leagues.“
Even after he began playing in the pros, Schmidt was a regular participant in off-season baseball workouts at LCC, where he shared his growing knowledge and experience with the Red Devils players. When Farrington left LCC to become head coach at Washington State University, new coach Kelly Smith welcomed Schmidt and worked with him to improve his hitting, which resulted in one of his best seasons at the plate.
Though he never enrolled at LCC, Schmidt said he spent countless hours on campus as he honed his skills. He has donated to the college and is grateful to the LCC community that provided opportunities to help him develop his craft.
“Those people stick with you forever,” he said.