Cédric De Smedt

Cédric De Smedt

• Bats Right, Throws Right

• Born October 31, 1991

Cédric De Smedt has pitched for the Belgian national team, as has his brother Kevin De Smedt.

In the 2007 European Junior Championship, De Smedt was 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA, getting Belgium's win over Poland. For the Brussels Kangaroos that year, the teenager was 0-6 with four saves and a 8.54 ERA. He walked 23 and allowed 65 hits in a team-leading 39 innings. The right-hander was the #2 pitcher for the weak Kangaroos squad in 2008 at 0-4 with a 7.47 ERA. Only Harold Gérard fared better.

De Smedt was one of a workhorse in 2009 for Brussels, going 5-11 with a 6.62 ERA, getting 40% of the team's decisions. In 122 1/3 innings, he struck out 75 but walked 94 and plunked 16. He had 29 more walks than any other First Division hurler and tied Yannick Gontier for the most losses. Switching clubs, he moved to the Namur Angels in 2010 and improved to 6-4, 4.06. He again led the league in walks, though he cut his total in almost half (to 42).

Cédric made the Belgian entry for the 2011 European Championship Qualifiers, starting against the lonely Latvian entry. The 19-year-old tossed three no-hit, no-walk innings, striking out six; only an error robbed him of perfection. Nicolas Migeot relieved him. Belgium would end up winning a spot in the 2012 European Championship.

Sources

• First Division statistics
• CEB website