By Brandon HENSLEY

Crescenta Valley High School alum Jimmy Smiley pitched a complete game for the Czech Republic’s Jablonec Blesk baseball team on April 17.

Smiley struck out seven batters against the Trebic Nuclears in a 130-pitch effort.

The Blesk (which means Lightning) is playing its first year in the Extraliga League, which according to Baseball Reference is the top baseball circuit in the Czech Republic.

In the Blesk’s first weekend of Extraliga play, the team faced perennial powerhouse Draci Brno. Smiley pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball, holding them to 5-for-27 (.185).

The Blesk did not fare so well in the other innings when Smiley wasn’t on the mound. In the other 22 innings, Draci Brno outscored Blesk 22-7. 

The 6’1” Smiley, who played basketball and baseball at CVHS and graduated in 2015, pitched at Whitman College in Washington, and at Columbia. Smiley played two seasons at Whitman and went 7-3 with two saves. He was captain and all conference his final season when he went 5-1.

At Columbia, he went 3-0 with two saves.