Strasburg, VA – Coming off a 27-17 regular season and an appearance in the Valley Baseball League Semi-Finals, the Strasburg Express are excited to announce that Cullen Smith has been hired as the head coach for the 2024 summer.

Smith is currently the hitting coach at Florida Southwestern State where he works underneath head coach Zac Cole, a name well known to VBL baseball fans. Prior to the move to Fort Myers, Smith served as a graduate assistant for the Arkansas Razorbacks during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Smith is no stranger to the highest levels of college baseball, as during the 2022 campaign the Razorbacks advanced to the NCAA College World Series in Omaha.

During his playing days Smith competed for 3 seasons at East Tennessee State University where he hit an even .300 in 609 total at-bats. He was named to the All-Southern Conference Team on numerous occasions. The Tennessee native then transferred to Arkansas for his final season and proceeded to launch 7 doubles and 11 home runs for the Razorbacks, driving in 35 runs, during the 2021 spring. During his summers Smith competed in both the NECBL and Northwoods League during.

Express General Manager Parker Name had this to say about Smith: “Cullen came to us highly regarded by Zac Cole, who is someone that we trust and value the opinion of. After speaking with him, we could very quickly see why Coach Cole sang his praises. Cullen has the energy, enthusiasm, poise, and presence that we want to see in our head coaches. While he is in the early stages of his coaching journey, we fully expect Cullen will be in the dugout of a major Power 5 program leading their hitting development in just a matter of years. We are excited to have him working alongside us, bringing in the nation’s top talent to Strasburg, as we compete for another VBL championship.”

“I am thrilled to join the Strasburg Express as the new head coach for the upcoming summer,” said Smith. “The opportunity to lead this talented group of players is truly an honor, and I am excited to contribute to the rich history of this esteemed organization. The Express have a tradition of success, and I am dedicated to upholding that standard while also bringing a fresh perspective to the team. With the support of the front office and the entire Express community, I am confident that we will achieve great things together and bring the VBL championship back where it belongs.”

Smith will begin formulating his coaching staff over the next few months, while also working alongside Neal to recruit the next wave of players to jump aboard in 2024.