Hillary Smith

Hillary Smith has covered prep, pro and college sports -- and even a Dixie Baseball World Series -- for newspapers north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line since 1995.

An award-winning reporter in Louisiana and Indiana, she has both a bachelor's and a master's degree from Michigan State University and has worked at The Times since 2005.

She covers the RailCats as well as high school girls volleyball, girls basketball and baseball, though has been also been found at NASCAR races, Chicago pro events and college sports during her tenure at The Times.

Prior to a career in journalism, she was a basketball statistician for the Beach Middle School Bullpups and a Lane 6 swimmer for the Chelsea High School Bulldogs.

Reach Hillary Smith at (219) 933-3323 or hillary.smith@nwi.com

HILLARY SMITH: The RailCats need silliness like the Saints

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

On Saturday, the RailCats participated in an exhibition game that drew more national attention than any other before the start of the American Association season begins.

HILLARY SMITH: Gavit finds cause for day of athletic dollars

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

HAMMOND | In an age of shrinking athletic budgets with every dollar being stretched to the limit, Gavit is doing something wild with Tuesday's sports revenue: the Gladiators are giving it away.

HILLARY SMITH: Crown Point catcher's family learns of perseverance

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

CROWN POINT | Bobby Morgan told his mother, Kathy, that he'd be honored on the baseball field before the Lake Central game on April 9 for selecting a college.

HILLARY SMITH: Movie allows conversation to continue

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

The first movie about Jackie Robinson, aptly titled "The Jackie Robinson Story," was released in 1950 and didn't tell the whole story.

HILLARY SMITH: Purdue's Minch is confident, not cocky

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

WEST LAFAYETTE | A mere eight months after Purdue baseball won its first Big Ten title in 93 years and hosted an NCAA Regional, the graduation toll on the Boilermakers has started to show.

HILLARY SMITH: RailCats in search of hot rookie bat

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

Last week, the RailCats announced their annual tryout will be May 2, with fingers crossed the weather holds out.

HILLARY SMITH: Baseball blows in with a bluster

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

Oh to remember when March was much warmer and the snow had forgotten to fall.

HILLARY SMITH: Month away is worth the play

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

Greg Tagert quickly changed roles, from one of an observer at the Texas Winter League to a manager of one of the teams.

HILLARY SMITH: Factor in the town tradition

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

By April, high school sports fans are going to be well-versed in the term "tradition factor."

HILLARY SMITH: Celebrate the girls hoops season that was

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

The girls basketball season brought with it ends, beginnings and the start of something new.

HILLARY SMITH: Not every shining moment needs a soundtrack

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

CROWN POINT | The Class 3A girls basketball teams at Saturday's Crown Point semistate weren't in attendance of the region's boys basketball sportsmanship banquet last week.

HILLARY SMITH: Welcome back, here where we need ya

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

The Hammond Civic Center was the last host of a semistate basketball tournament in the region.

HILLARY SMITH: Hoisting the trophy not as easy as it looks

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

Sunday's newspaper ran names of seven local schools whose girls basketball season will run another week: Lake Central, Merrillville, Rensselaer, Griffith, Whiting, Boone Grove and Morgan Township.

HILLARY SMITH: RailCats shaking up fan interaction

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

The RailCats front office staff has spent the last four Februarys preparing to welcome baseball fans in from the cold.

HILLARY SMITH: Prepare the new-record season

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

When the postseason is all that matters, isn't it OK to enter the playoffs with a record that doesn't suggest a winning season?

HILLARY SMITH: Can safety remain in pure athletics?

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

At a high school basketball game in Chicago last week, there was enough pushing and shoving in the postgame handshake line to force suspensions for the next game.

HILLARY SMITH: Keep the tournament, avoid the triple tango

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

This week's prep hoops tournaments, starting with today's Porter County Conference schedule of games, have prompted columns in the past about how every other conference should follow suit.

HILLARY SMITH: Make '13 a lucky number

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

The Roman, modern calendar opened its new year last week, bringing with it all kinds of resolutions. 

HILLARY SMITH: IUN grad lives the dream in the middle of Turkey

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

GARY | When Sharon Houston was young, she said she'd bounce a basketball up and down the street, dreaming of her professional career.

HILLARY SMITH: E.C. Central's Brown has different plan for the holidays

Hillary Smith Times Columnist

EAST CHICAGO | Denitra Brown wakes up every morning, thanks God for the day and says 'hello' to her mother.

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