Matt Ortega

Bay Area baseball product and Olympian Nate Schierholtz earned the praise of Team USA assistant coach Reggie Smith. Contra Costa Times:

High on Schierholtz

Former major league slugger and USA baseball assistant coach Reggie Smith likes what he’s seen in Giants prospect Nate Schierholtz, the former San Ramon Valley High star.”I think in time, Nate will prove that he can play and hit at the major league level, if given the opportunity,” Smith said. “The one thing I have seen as a result of kids playing in the Olympics and the caliber of pitching they’re going to see, if they can hit here they’re going to be able to hit at the major-league level as well.”

Schierholtz batted .400 with a triple, two homers and seven RBI in a four-game pre-Olympics series with Canada in North Carolina a week ago. Smith was impressed.

“He showed tremendous power and discipline at the plate,” Smith said. “He puts the ball in play. He has a pretty good walk-strikeout ratio. You look at his average against right-handers and left-handers and it doesn’t seem to be that much different.

“To me, he has the makeup to play at the major-league level.”