Jace Smith is the ace of the King College pitching staff. He’s an All-Appalachian Athletic Conference selection. You could also call him the pride of Dripping Springs, Texas.

"Yeah, Dripping Springs, Texas," Smith said. "It’s about 20 miles west of Austin. It’s a pretty small town. It’s starting to grow a little bit more. When I was there, it was a two-light district and one street pretty much goes through the whole town."

Smith has found a home in Bristol the last two years and will take the mound today as King (31-16) plays the University of Virginia’s College at Wise (29-21) in the first round of the NAIA Region XII baseball tournament. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Kingsport’s Hunter Wright Stadium.

It’s no surprise that King head coach Mark Conkin is giving the starting nod to Smith. He’s compiled a 13-4 record the past two seasons for the Tornado and boasts a 7-0 record this season.

In almost every big game King has played, Smith has gotten the ball.

"I’ve been real pleased," Smith said. "I’ve learned a lot from Coach Conkin and he’s taught me plenty of things about baseball."

Smith has also been at the center of King’s turnaround process. In 2006, King won just 14 games and the program was in disarray. However, Conkin arrived in 2007 with a strong recruiting class and the Tornado has posted consecutive 30-win seasons.

King came calling on Smith after his former junior college teammate Drew Trujillo had recommended him to Conkin. Smith had just failed making the team at NCAA Division I Texas State and had decided to come to Bristol to showcase his skills on the NAIA level.

It’s worked out well for both sides.

"We definitely have the talent," Smith said. "Since we played together last year, it’s pretty much the same group. We’ve bonded a lot and have good chemistry on the team. We have a real good shot at putting in a good run to make it the Super Regionals."

Up first is an old nemesis. King and UVa.-Wise have played three times this year, with Wise holding a 2-1 edge. Included, was a 5-4 victory by the Highland Cavaliers in last week’s AAC tournament.

Smith will face a loaded lineup that is led by Jorge Laboy (.417 batting average, four home runs, 41 RBIs), Matt Duffy (.407, three home runs, 56 RBIs) and Brad Robbins (.402, 11 home runs, 43 RBIs).

"They are definitely a big rival," Smith said, "They are a good team. It should be a good game."

Senior first baseman Mike Torrence hit .500 (8-for-16) with five RBIs during the conference tournament for King and has one homer and 45 RBIs on the season. Ryan Kennedy, Joe Craven and Teon Richburg also lead the Tornado at the plate.

Meanwhile, former Tennessee High star Brandon Wallace is 5-0 with eight saves and anchors the Tornado’s bullpen.

As for Smith, the kid from the small town in the Lonestar state, he will look to continue his impressive senior season. The 5-foot-11 right-hander has struck out 87 in 80 1/3 innings of work and yielded just 69 hits this season. In other words, he’s enjoying life in Northeast Tennessee.

"I’ve been around small towns a lot," Smith said. "It’s a little different, but I’ve adapted pretty well. All in all, all the people are genuine and nice."

SOFTBALL

The University of Virginia’s College at Wise will be shooting for its second straight NAIA Region XII softball title and third in four years when the tournament gets underway today in New Albany, Ind.

UVa.-Wise (26-17) is not exactly entering the tournament with momentum. The Highland Cavaliers went just 1-2 in last week’s Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament.

That prompted some intense practices this week for the team.

"We actually had much more energy and focus, which was nice to see after the way we played in the conference tournament," UVa.-Wise coach Tori Raby-Gentry said. "I told them that win or lose – I just want them to give me their best. If we play hard and stay focused, the wins will come.

"Our biggest focus is going to be our offense making better decisions and not looking at the person ahead of us. When our top two or three are struggling a little bit, we all struggle."

Leadoff hitter Maddi Ridenhour (.453, five triples, 15 RBIs, 45 runs) has set the tone for the Cavs, while Britney Lawson (.375, nine home runs, 36 RBIs) and Shelley Newton (.368, six home runs, 38 RBIs) have also had productive seasons at the plate.

Megan McCoy (7-5, three saves, 1.81 ERA), Lauren Snead (12-9, 2.01 ERA) and Amanda Wheeler-Sims (7-3, 3.46 ERA) provide three key options for Raby-Gentry, which could prove very handy in the regional tourney.

UVa.-Wise will play today at 4 p.m. against the winner of a first-round matchup between Tennessee Wesleyan and Mountain State. The regional tourney title game is set for Friday.