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Coaches Corner with Liam Bowen of UMBC

January 27, 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
Liam Bowen
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Pitching Coach / Recruiting Coordiantor

Coaching Career
Saint Mary’s College of Maryland 2007 – 2010
Lincoln Memorial University 2011
UMBC 2012 – present

Playing Career
Macalester College 2003 – 2006

Please give a little background on the UMBC baseball program.
+ We are a mid-major Division I program that competes in the America East Conference. We went 34-20 in 2015. We return nine all-conference players and are very excited about our team in 2016.

What is unique to the programs that the coaching staff and team take great pride in?
+ Player development, on the field and off. There are certainly other programs with bigger names and more resources but we feel like the effort and attention to detail that we give the development process is second to none. This extends to our player's lives away from baseball as well.

What do you look for in potential players?
+ First, they have to be a student. Our program is much bigger than baseball and that starts in the classroom. We want guys that are willing to work for their education and live up to their academic responsibilities.

Second, they have to dominate high school baseball. We are looking for guys that make winning pitches and winning plays, not necessarily the guys with the best tools. We think those players will show those characteristics in high school.

Third, they have to have a growth mindset. Development is the fuel for our success and potential players have to be excited about that process, not just the potential results.

Are there any immediate “Red Flags” when recruiting players?
+ Anything that contradicts the things we look for. Guys that can't do it in school, don't dominate at their current level or don't have a growth mindset are not our kind of guys.

Any interesting facts or stories about the program?
+ We are the most improved program (by wins and winning percentage) and the most improved pitching staff (by ERA) in the country since our staff took over the program in 2012. We set several school and individual records during the 2015 season.

Are there any base numbers you are looking for on the academic side?
+ The average student at UMBC has a 3.78 GPA and 1210 two part SAT in high school. The guys we recruit need to be relatively close to those numbers.

Have any players gone on to play professionally from the program? If so, how many?  
+ Too many to count in the almost 50 years that UMBC has been playing baseball, including three big leaguers. We think some guys on the current roster have a professional future so stay tuned...

Do you have any advice for prospective student athletes as they go through the recruiting process?
+ First, understand the relationship between development and exposure. Becoming a college player takes a ton of development and just enough of the right kind of exposure. Too often, players get these two things backwards and don't reach their potential.

Second, begin with the end in mind. Going to college is just like any other big decision or purchase -- you need to do your homework on the front end. Having a focused idea as to the type of school that would be a good fit is essential. If the player doesn't know what kind of school he wants to go to (big or small, near or far, etc.), he and his family can end up confused and overwhelmed. In my ten years, I have seen the process go much better when there is a goal in mind.

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