PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- With the 2024 collegiate softball season in the books, Rutgers' Morgan Smith was ranked the No. 1 two-way player and No. 23 player overall in Softball America's Top 100 Players List.

Smith has earned a host of accolades making her one of the most decorated players in Rutgers history. Among her awards for the 2024 season include RU's first-ever NFCA All-America with second team honors, a First Team All-America selection by Softball America, ECAC Player of the Year, a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten pick and back-to-back appearances on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.
 
During the 2024 campaign, Smith hit .408 on the year behind 69 hits, 14 doubles, four triples and 19 home runs while collecting a Rutgers season-record 66 RBIs. At the start of NCAA Tournament play, she ranked 11th in home runs, sixth in RBIs, ninth in slugging percentage and fourth in sacrifice flies. Among her Big Ten peers, she led the league in RBIs, was second in home runs and slugging percentage, third in batting average, fourth in runs and triples and seventh in doubles. On defense, Smith held a .983 field percentage playing at both center field and pitcher having only made one error at each position on 118 chances. Altogether she collected 67 putouts and 49 assists.  Along with her time in center field, Smith also tossed 130.2 innings with 93 strikeouts inside the circle. She finished the season 11-10 overall with a 3.54 ERA in 30 appearances with 21 starts and seven complete games.

In addition to her single-season RBI record, Smith has placed her name in the Rutgers record book second in career batting average, eighth in career RBIs (112), ninth in career triples (6), second in season home runs (19), fourth in season hits (69), seventh in season batting average (.408) and tenth in season doubles (14).

Smith's play helped Rutgers to its first-ever back-to-back 30-win seasons, a program record for Big Ten victories and Big Ten series wins and the highest Big Ten Tournament seed since joining the league in 2015. In addition to her individual school records for season RBIs, she helped RU break the school team records for runs scored and runs batted in.

Smith will continue her career at the professional level after signing on to play with the Chattanooga Steam.
 

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