“She wasn’t the same kid she is today. She was meek and quiet, still trying to find herself. She wasn’t very good yet — and that’s what makes her story so special. It shows you what hard work and a willingness to learn can do. What stood out the most was how she listened. She never broke eye contact with you… ever.”
PURCHASE THE 2026 BASEBALL/SOFTBALL PREVIEW
SEE ALL THE MEDIA DAY PHOTOS
Fast forward a few years and EK Smith is HER.
The Katy ace is the No. 1 pitcher in Texas and is headed to play her college ball for the No. 1 program in the country — the Oklahoma Sooners.
Yet even with all those accolades piled high, she’s still that same little girl showing up with homemade cookies for the Godfather of Greater Houston softball.
“I still love to bake,” she laughed. “I’m really good at sourdough bread. I love coffee — 7 Brew or Dutch Bros. I got an espresso machine for Christmas, so now I can make my own.”
Ask anyone — a teammate, an opponent, a coach — and you’ll hear the same thing: everyone likes EK.
Even former stars from down the road at Foster High School know the deal.
“Oh, I know about EK,” said Arkansas shortstop Ella McDowell, a Softball America Freshman All-American last season. “She’s two years younger than me, but everyone knew she was the next big thing in Houston.
“My advice to her is to enjoy her senior year and keep the same confidence when she gets to college. She belongs there. With her skill set, she’s going to have a big career.”
So what makes EK Smith so special? What makes her one of the most coveted prospects in the country?
“Think of a softball player with a middle-linebacker mentality who’s an elite pitcher, an elite hitter, and an elite fielder,” Jackson said. “At six feet tall, she’s our best baserunner. You can’t take her off the field. She’s 18, but she talks like she’s 28. Her softball IQ is so far off the charts she could coach right now.”
And yet, what makes her tick isn’t all that complicated.
“I’m still just a kid who loves hanging out with friends,” the USA Softball star said. “I try to keep everything in perspective. When I’m on the mound in pressure situations, I’m usually humming or singing my favorite song.
“What I love most are the postgame dinners with my teammates at Texas Roadhouse — especially those rolls. Softball doesn’t define me. I want to win more than anyone, but if we lose, it’s not the end of the world. We just come back the next day and try to be better.”
Former Katy coach Kalum Haack — one of the most respected names in the game with more than 850 career wins — still remembers the 10-year-old who used to show up at his camps.
“When she pitched as a little kid, we practically had to walk the ball back to her on the mound because she couldn’t catch… at all,” Haack laughed. “But every year, she just kept getting better. By ninth grade, you could tell she was going to be special.
“And now, with all the praise and how bright her future is — she’s still the same great kid.”
Somewhere between homemade cookies and sold-out stadiums, EK Smith never changed.
