Eric Smelko

Eric Smelko begins his first season at Mesa in 2026 where he will serve as hitting and base coach. Prior to Mesa, he spent 1 season as an assistant coach at NCAA Powerhouse Point Loma Nazarene University. There he primarily worked with the team’s offense and catchers. The Sea Lions compiled a record of 39-18 record and advanced to a 4th straight NCAA West Regional.

Prior to coaching at PLNU, Smelko finished his collegiate playing career at his alma mater, being named 2024 Division II All-West Region for the second consecutive season and 1st Team All PacWest during the Sea Lions season which ended with a trip to the College World Series after winning conference, regional, and super regional championships under the tutelage of highly-acclaimed Sea Lion Head Coach Justin James. Smelko had been the perfect leadoff man for the Sea Lions, ranking in the top-five in the conference in several statistical categories. The left fielder was second in the PacWest in both runs (64) and OPS (1.148), third in on-base % (.485), fourth in batting average (.392), slugging % (.663) and triples (3), as well as fifth in hits (82), doubles (15) and Home Runs (12) all while walking twice (32) as many times as striking out (16) on the season.

Before his PLNU tenure, Eric attended California State University Dominguez Hills for 2 years where he was named 2023 Division II All-West Region, 2023 1st Team All CCAA, 2022 CCAA Newcomer of the Year, and 2022 1st Team All CCAA. The Toro’s reached new heights makingthe 2022 Conference championship game. During his 2 seasons stretch at CSUDH, Eric tallied 156 Hits, 28 doubles, and 17 homeruns. At the end of the 2023 season, Smelko was awarded the prestigious Dr. Hal Charnofsky Memorial Award in Academics, given to only 1 male student-athlete at the entire school per year. Eric played under Head Coach Tyler Wright.

Eric spent the 2020-2021 seasons starting his collegiate paying career at Division I St. Mary’s College, where he was recruited by coach Eric Valenzuela and played for long-tenured Division I coaches Greg Moore, Jordan Twohig, and Riley Goulding. There he hit .253 to finish with the fifth-best batting average on the 2021 team where he began the season as the Gael's starting left fielder and named to the WCC All-Academic 1st Team.

Smelko prepped at local Helix Carter. Eric was a 4-year Varsity starter as a Highlander. As a switch hitter and ambidextrous thrower, Smelko would pitch and play center field left-handed, while catching and playing the infield right-handed. The Highlanders won the competitiveGrossmont Hill League four times under the guidance of Head Coach Cole Holland and Legendary Pitching Coach Pat Hause, where the team appeared in the Open Division playoffs each year of those 4 years.

The son of Mark and Christie Smelko, Eric was raised by extremely athletic, award winning coaches, and dedicated educators as parents. Mark played baseball at San Diego State and for three seasons with the California Angels minor league affiliates after being drafted in the 21stround of the 1981 MLB Draft. He then coached baseball and taught physical education at Monte Vista High School from 1991-2000, reaching San Diego Section CIF championships in 1993, 1998, and 2000. Christie Smelko was a swimmer and volleyball player at Poway and coached both sports at Monte Vista where she taught oceanography, chemistry, and AP environmental science.

Eric earned his Bachelor’s Degree in History at CSU Dominguez Hills and Master’s Degree in Exercise Science at PLNU.