It didn’t take long for Clint Helton to drive the Maryville baseball program into the winner’s circle.
Helton and the Scots enjoyed a historic run during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, firmly establishing Maryville as one of the premier programs in the Collegiate Conference of the South. In 2024, Helton guided the Scots to a sweep of the CCS regular season and tournament championships, eclipsing 30 wins for the first time in program history and celebrating on the historic Scotland Yard infield. Maryville’s 9–3 victory over LaGrange in the tournament finale delivered the program’s 30th win and CCS tournament hardware. The Scots finished the regular season 14–3 in conference play, two games clear of Belhaven, earning hosting duties for Helton and his staff.
For his efforts, Helton was named CCS Coach of the Year. Picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll, Helton led his alma mater to its first regular-season conference championship since 2007 in the Great South Athletic Conference. The season featured a 13-game winning streak—the program’s longest in more than a decade—and a dozen Scots earned postseason CCS honors. Zac Graham and Colin Dunworth collected All-Region recognition, with both named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region 6 Second Team, while Graham also earned D3baseball.com All-Region Third Team honors. Dunworth and Jimmy Meredith were selected to the ABCA Region 6 All-Defensive Team after helping Maryville lead the CCS in fielding percentage and finish seventh nationally at .976.
Helton followed that breakthrough campaign with an even more impressive 2025 season. The Scots again captured the CCS regular-season title, surpassed 30 wins for the second consecutive year—this time during the regular season—and posted the winningest regular season in school history. Helton was once again named CCS Coach of the Year, becoming a repeat honoree. The season culminated with Maryville earning a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 1977. Competing in the Lynchburg Regional, the Scots went 1–2, highlighted by an NCAA Tournament victory over Marymount.
Helton was named Maryville’s head baseball coach in July 2019 after five seasons as a Scots assistant coach.
Among his highlights as an assistant coach was the 2019 team’s offensive explosion, hitting .352 as a team to rank 20th nationally. The Scots finished first nationally in hits (240) and runs scored (186), fourth in doubles (42), ninth in stolen bases (41), ninth in triples (10), 19th in scoring (9.8 runs per game), and 23rd in on-base percentage (.445).
In 2015, Maryville climbed as high as No. 23 nationally while recording 25 wins for the first time in a season. The Scots reached their highest national ranking in program history in 2018, checking in at No. 18 in the ABCA poll. During Helton’s time at Maryville, the program produced its first-ever Major League Baseball Amateur Draft pick, while three additional players signed to play professionally in independent leagues.
Under Helton’s leadership, the pitching staff has improved in nearly every statistical category, including wins, earned-run average, strikeouts, walks allowed, and opponents’ batting average.
As a recruiter, Helton has signed more than 100 student-athletes from across the country, including Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Maryland, New York, Arizona, California, Oregon, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, and Washington.
Helton’s efforts have helped Maryville make historic strides. The program was the fastest to reach 100 wins in a four-year span, going 100–62 from 2015–18, and established a new standard with five consecutive 20-win seasons.
Helton came to Maryville from Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky, where he served as pitching coach during the 2014 season. Union finished third in the Appalachian Athletic Conference with a 34–20 record and climbed as high as No. 19 nationally in the NAIA. The Bulldogs’ pitching staff lowered its ERA by 0.77 from the previous season, and one pitcher earned All-Conference honors.
Prior to Union, Helton spent the 2012–13 season at St. Andrews University in North Carolina as a volunteer assistant, working with the pitching staff and coaching first base. St. Andrews posted a 25–22 record in 2013, finishing third in the Appalachian Athletic Conference and recording its most wins—and first winning season—since 2005.
During the summer of 2014, Helton served as head coach of the Surfside Rays of the Beach Collegiate Baseball League in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and was also head coach of the Rawlings Stars 17U Gold team. In 2013, he was the pitching coach for the Shore Eagles of the Beach League.
Helton played collegiately at Maryville from 2007–11 and was a member of the Scots’ 2009 Great South Athletic Conference championship team. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education, Health, and Recreation for Teacher Licensure (K–12) in 2011 and a Master of Arts in Education Leadership from Union College in 2015.
A native of Walland, Tennessee, Helton is married to the former Jenica Lamar. The couple resides in Maryville with their son, Beau.
The Clint Helton Era
2020: 14-5 (6-3 USA South) *COVID Abbreviated Season
2021: 9-21 (5-10 USA South) *COVID Abbreviated Season
2022: 22-16 (7-11 USA South)
2023: 26-17 (6-12 CCS)
2024: 30-14 (14-3 CCS)
2025: 33-14 (15-3 CCS) CCS Regular Season Champions / NCAA Lynchburg Regional Appearance (1-2 Record)
CAREER: 134-87 (.606) 53-42 Conference (.558)
