When the United States collegiate national team heads to Taiwan next month for the first-ever World Collegiate Baseball Championship, Michigan baseball coach Tracy Smith will be along for the ride.
Smith was selected as an assistant coach for the Stars half of the 2026 Collegiate National Team Training Camp Thursday. The Wolverines’ skipper will now head to Cary, N.C. next month for the annual Stars vs Stripes exhibition series, before heading to Taichung City with the Stars in July.
Joined by Wake Forest coach Tom Walter and Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs as a first-timer on the national team staff, Smith will bring his 29 total years of coaching experience to help USA’s best non-draft-eligible players compete at the international level. The Stars team, led by Illinois coach Dan Hartleb, will vie for a deep run in the inaugural pool-play style tournament later this summer.
Michigan holds a record of 127-103 under Smith’s four-year tutelage, having ended the 2026 season with 34 wins and a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal appearance. Smith has coached 90 future MLB draft selections and multiple first-rounders, including former Wolverines second baseman Mitch Voit, Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson and Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber — the current MLB home run leader.
Smith will look to continue his knack for player development with USA Baseball later this summer, with the opportunity to earn some hardware overseas before he returns for his fifth year at the helm of Michigan’s clubhouse.
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