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Coaches Corner with John O'Neil of UMES

August 15, 2016

USG 2016

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By Jerry Shank
Maryland Scouting Director

Coaches’ corner highlights colleges and universities around the region and gives an opportunity for prospective student athletes to learn more about the program, coaching staff, and school.

Coach
John O'Neil
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Head Coach

Coaching Career
2008 - 2010 - Assistant at Colby-Sawyer College (NCAA Division III - New London, NH)
2010 - 2011 - Assistant at the University of the Sciences (NCAA Division II - Philadelphia, PA)
2011 - 2014 - Assistant at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (NCAA Division I - Princess Anne, MD)
2015 - Present - Head Coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (NCAA Division I - Princess Anne, MD)

Playing Career
2004 - 2008 - Colby-Sawyer College (NCAA Division III)

Please give a little background on the baseball program

  • I can only comment on the years that I have been associated with UMES. There has been a steady rise in the program in all areas. The program has been making strides to better our student-athletes overall experience. Hawks Stadium has gone through many renovations throughout the past several years including a new infield, out-door batting cage, improved dugouts, and a new scoreboard. The equipment our student-athletes use is top-of-the-line. Our playing schedule has continued to get stronger every year with the addition of SEC, ACC, Big East, Big South, and Atlantic 10 teams. Our overall play has improved every year. The 2015 team broke the school's record for more conference wins with a 14-10 record.

What is unique to the program that the staff and team take great pride in?

  • The student-athletes and coaching staff take pride in making the UMES baseball as strong as possible. Our young man take pride in their academics, their volunteer work in the community, and their performance as a team on the field.

What do you look for in potential players?

  • Character. A person's character goes a long way. We want young man who put the team first and are selfless. We want student-athletes who want to continue to make the program grow on and off the field.

Are there any immediate "Red Flags" when recruiting players?

  • When our staff is out recruiting, we will cross a prospective student-athlete off our list if we don't see them playing the game and respecting the game the right way. A "Red Flag" is someone who is arguing with umpires, coaches, and teammates. Hate to see someone throw equipment around and disrespect the game.

Any interesting facts or stories about the program?

  • When Ira Smith played at UMES, he won back to back NCAA Division I batting titles, which is an amazing accomplishment. Only one other NCAA Division I baseball player has ever achieved the same feat.

Are there any base numbers you are looking for on the academic side?

  • With the new rules, the big number is a 2.3 core GPA. We have a Honors Program, which potentially rewards a significant amount of academic scholarship money to incoming students with above a 3.2 GPA and 1650 SAT score.

Have any players gone on to play professionally from the program? If so how many?

  • Several players from UMES have played professional baseball. Since I have been here we have had three graduating players play professionally.

Do you have any advice for prospective student athletes as they go through the recruiting process?

  • Seems like every year high school players are committing to colleges earlier and earlier. My humble opinion and recommendation would be for a high school player not to rush into their decision. I like to tell high school kids that they should be going to an institution that they would enjoy if they didn't play baseball there. I strongly believe that a student looking at colleges should take into consideration several demographics. Do you want to attend a big school or small school enrollment size-wise? Do you want to live within driving distance of home or far away from home? Then look at what schools have your interest of study. I feel that a person can narrow down their college search by those three demographics. Once your choices are narrowed down, then start to think about playing baseball at those schools. I believe that some kids only look at playing sports at a certain school, instead of looking at the big picture.

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