When West Virginia University's baseball season ended, Mike Schmidt said he was "down in the dumps" and looking forward to summer ball hopefully to "build up my confidence level."

One look at Schmidt's statistics with the Pittsburgh Pandas in the wooden-bat Tri-State College Summer League and it's quite clear his confidence has returned.

After hitting just .225 (18 for 80) with three home runs and striking out 25 times for the Mountaineers (29-22, 10-16 Big East), Schmidt entered this week with a team-best .444 average (20 for 45) for the Pandas, who play their home games at La Roche College in McCandless.

Schmidt, 21, a Bethel Park High School graduate, said he's more relaxed playing summer ball than he was at WVU and he's also seeing the ball better.

"If I go 0 for 3 with the Pandas, I know I'll be in the lineup the next game," said Schmidt.

"At West Virginia, if I don't get a couple of hits and produce, I'm not going to play for a couple of weeks."

Schmidt points to a game last week against the rival Allegheny Athletics in which he said he went 0 for 3 and struck out three times.

The next game at Cleveland he started and went 4 for 6, including a 400-foot home run over the center-field fence.

He credits some of his success this summer literally to seeing the ball better.

Schmidt, who used to wear contact lenses, had LASIK eye surgery in late December and said it took a little time for his eyesight to reach 100 percent.

A 6-foot-2, 220-pounder, Schmidt has been Mr. Versatility for the Pandas the past two years -- seeing action as a first baseman, catcher, designated hitter and pitcher.

Last summer, Schmidt started and was the winning pitcher, tossing six innings, in a 9-3 win against the Long Island (N.Y.) Astros in the championship game of the 16-team National Amateur Baseball Federation College Division World Series in Toledo, Ohio.

The Pandas (23-4 through Monday) will begin defense of their national championship Thursday as NABF regional play begins in Youngstown.

Schmidt will be a key if the Pandas have any hopes of repeating.

He is expected to be at first base and do some pitching once the playoffs begin. He made just three pitching appearances for the Pandas during the regular season, but was impressive, striking out 22 batters in 15¹/₃ innings and producing a 1.76 ERA and no decisions.

Schmidt, who will be a redshirt junior for West Virginia, saw action at first base, designated hitter, catcher and made one appearance as a relief pitcher for the Mountaineers this past spring.

But his future at West Virginia could very well be on the mound. The Mountaineers are expected to take a longer look at him there next season.

Schmidt throws his fastball consistently in the upper-80 mph range and is quite capable of hitting 90.

He also throws a slider, curveball and a nice changeup.

"His ball just explodes. He's probably the hardest thrower on our team," said Pandas general manager Frank Gilbert.

Gilbert, who has had some other hard throwers in his seven years as the Pandas' GM, including the Pirates' Josh Sharpless, said Schmidt ranks as one of the five hardest throwers he's had.

Schmidt was recruited by West Virginia as a catcher and he said he didn't pitch a lot in high school.

He said his last pitching performance at Bethel Park resulted in a 9-2 loss to Pine-Richland in the WPIAL playoffs -- a game in which he said he was hit particularly hard by Pirates first-round draft pick Neil Walker.

"One of Neil's hits against me was a home run that went about 500 feet," said Schmidt.

That pitching performance certainly was not a confidence builder. But Schmidt has moved on ... and has found ways to prosper.