PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has named assistant baseball coach John O’Neil Acting Head Coach on an interim basis, following the recent resignation of head coach Pedro Swann.
A 2008 graduate of Colby-Sawyer College, O’Neil was currently in his fourth season as an assistant coach before his new appointment. Hired by former Hawks coach Will Gardner in 2012, O’Neil had previously served as the head coach of the Middlesex Rays in the Atlantic Baseball Confederation Collegiate League, as well as an assistant at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and at his alma mater, Colby-Sawyer.
“I appreciate the opportunity to lead this program,” said O’Neil. “I am happy to see that Mr. Davidson entrusts me to continue to build on a very solid foundation of UMES baseball that was laid down by my predecessors. I have had the opportunity to work for some great baseball minds and hope to pull from that experience in guiding the Hawks.”
In his tenure as head coach, Swann guided the Hawks for the previous two seasons, accumulating a 21-80 record at the helm. He improved in his second season, lowering the team’s losses by 10 and improving the team’s wins by five. Furthermore, the team’s collective E.R.A. lowered from 6.53 in 2013 to 6.39 in 2014 and the team’s average increased from .251 to .265 during that span.
“We thank Coach Swann for his contribution to UMES baseball. He was a good steward of the program and we wish him well in his future endeavors,” said Director of Athletics Keith Davidson.
The baseball team returns 20 players from a year ago in addition to 10 newcomers. They will open the season against the University of Alabama on February 13th.
