University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball coach Brian Hollamon completed his 2019 coaching staff with the hiring of Matt O’Brien as pitching coach.
“We’re happy to have Matt join our staff.” Head Coach Brian Hollamon said. “He brings a good background from Minnesota and has great leadership skills. We expect him to work well with our young pitching staff, because his personality will build excellent relationships.”
Hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, O’Brien brings 13 years of leadership experience and six years of collegiate experience to The Shore. Most recently, he served as an assistant for the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Prior to that he spent five seasons in his hometown and at his alma mater, Winona State University.
“I’m excited to join a program that is heading in a great, new direction.” O’Brien said. “It’s one thing to blend into a traditionally successful program, but it’s another to put your stamp and leave your mark on a culture. After talking with Coach Hollamon, Maryland Eastern Shore is a great place for me to make the jump to the Division I level.”
O’Brien pitched for the North Iowa Area Community College Trojans from 2003-05. He was named to the Iowa Community College Athletic Association (ICCAA) All-Region and Academic All-Region Teams in 2005. The Trojans won 39 games on the way to a regular season title. O’Brien still ranks eighth in saves, 10th in strikeouts and 13th in innings pitched.
After earning his associates’ degree, he moved on to Winona State. In two seasons, he made 21 appearances and seven starts for the Warriors. His playing career ended with an exclamation mark in 2007, when the Warriors won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title. O’Brien was named Most Valuable Pitcher and took a spot on the All-Tournament team.
Following his graduation with a degree in Physical Education, he spent the better part of a decade in Winona. From 2012-17 he worked as the Warriors’ pitching coach, overseeing all elements of the activities on the mound and helped with recruiting. Over the past five seasons, the Warriors finished in the Top 5 statistically in earned runs, strikeouts, and walks allowed.
One pticher — Mitch Stalsberg — became the first Winona State pitcher since 1998 to be drafted by Major League Baseball, with his selection by Detroit in the 23rd round. Stalsberg split his 2018 season between Western Michigan and Connecticut, earning a 1.51 ERA over 17 innings pitched.
In the summer of 2016, O’Brien worked as an assistant for the Madison Mallards out of the Northwoods Collegiate Summer League. This position gave him the chance to work with several pitchers who took top spots in the 2018 MLB draft, including second rounder Mitchell Kilkenny of Texas A&M. Fourth rounder Franklin German of North Florida and 14th rounder Mike Byrne — the saves record holder for the University of Florida. The Mallards finished in the Top 5 in ERA, strikeouts, and win percentage.
Other stops include a five-year stint at Winona Cotter High School, which included three years as a head coach. He helped guide the program to their first title in seven years. O’Brien also worked with the Winona VFW 16U travel baseball team from 2007-2015.
