PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Second year head coach John O’Neil is looking to continue the pace set by the upstart 2015 baseball team that set a new school standard in MEAC play. By his side will be two new assistants to help lead the charge in 2016. Jason Bell joins the staff as the team’s pitching coach, and Adam Barry arrives on campus as an assistant coach.
A native of Saint Louis, Mo., Bell comes to Princess Anne from Athens, Ohio, where he served as Director of Baseball Operations for the Ohio Bobcats. In his one year in the Buckeye State, Bell worked on a staff led by Rob Smith, who organized the best turnaround in all of NCAA Division I baseball from the previous season. The 2015 Bobcats more than doubled their win total from the previous with a 36-21 mark, and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals.
Prior to his time in Ohio, Bell pitched for two collegiate teams. He started out with the Saint Louis Billikens of the Atlantic 10 conference, pitching in 36 games for his hometown university. He was the winning pitcher in the 2010 Atlantic 10 Conference Championship game, where the Billikens achieved the most wins in school history. As a junior, he transferred to Central Missouri, where he led the pitching staff in ERA before being sideline with an elbow injury. That year the Mules won 48 games and hosted a Regional.
Bell will work with the Hawks pitching staff this season, which brings back some established veterans but is also stocked with a large supply of newcomers.
Barry last coached at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. where he, like Bell, served as a Director of Baseball Operations for the Blue Jays. The Jays went 32-19 to go along with a 13-4 record in the Big East, matching their total from a year ago.
The Simi Valley, Calif. native went to three different schools as a collegian and played two sports while in college. He started out at the University of Wyoming as a linebacker on the football team before going home to Cal State Northridge and focusing on baseball. Barry turned out to be a consistent hitter while splitting time between the infield and outfield. In 95 games he hit .287 for the Matadors with 22 extra base hits and 37 RBIs.
With one of eligibility left, Barry went to High Point as a graduate student, hitting .291 with two homeruns and 28 RBIs for the Panthers. After completing his NCAA eligibility, Barry went on to play professionally in the Pecos and United Professional Baseball League.
In his coaching duties, Barry will work primarily with the hitters and outfielders.
UMES opens its 2016 season in February. The Hawks will be looking to improve on their 16 win season from a year ago and a new high of 14-10 in MEAC play.