It didn't take long for Clint Helton to drive the Maryville baseball program into the winner's circle.
Helton and the Scots swept the Collegiate Conference of the South regular season and tournament titles in 2024, eclipsing 30 wins for the first time in program history and celebrating on the historic Scotland Yard infield. Maryville's closing 9-3 victory over LaGrange handed the Scots their 30th victory and the CCS tournament hardware. The Scots had won the 2024 regular season by two games over Belhaven with a 14-3 record, earning hosting duties for Helton and his staff.
For his efforts, Helton was named CCS Coach of the Year. The Scots had gone into the season picked to finish fifth, but Helton led his alma mater to a regular-season championship for the first time since 2007 in the Great South Athletic Conference. Included during the season was a 13-game winning streak that was the longest in more than a decade. Helton had a dozen Scots earn postseason honors from the CCS, with Zac Graham and Colin Dunworth achieving All-Region recognition. Graham and Dunworth were both named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region 6 Second Team, while Graham was also honored on the D3baseball.com All-Region Third Team. Dunworth and Jimmy Meredith were named o the ABCA Region 6 All-Defensive Team after helping Maryville lead the CCS in team fielding percentage at finish seventh nationally at .976.
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 were the 2019 team erupting offensively and hitting .352 as a team to rank 20th nationally. They were first in hits (240), first in runs scored (186), fourth in doubles (42), ninth in stolen bases (41), ninth in triples (10),19th in scoring (9.8 runs/game), and 23rd in on-base percentage (.445).
In 2015, Maryville was ranked as high as 23rd in the country while recording 25 wins for the first time in a season. In 2018, the Scots established their highest national ranking at No.18 by the ABCA. During Helton's time at Maryville, the program recorded its first-ever draft pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Three other players have signed to play baseball professionally to independent leagues.
Under Helton, the pitching staff has improved in nearly every statistical category, specifically in wins, earned-run average, strikeouts, walks allowed and opponent’s batting average.
While recruiting for the Scots, Helton successfully signed over 100 student-athletes for the baseball program. These student-athletes have ranged from Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Maryland, New York, Arizona, California, Oregon, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, and Washington.
Helton's efforts have helped MC make historic strides. The program was the fastest to 100 wins in a four-year span going 100-62 from 2015-18. He also helped set a new standard with five consecutive 20+ win seasons.
Helton came to Maryville from Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. While at Union, Helton was the pitching coach for the Bulldogs in the 2014 season. The Bulldogs finished third in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, posting a record of 34-20 overall, and they were ranked as high as 19th nationally in the NAIA. As a pitching staff, Union posted an ERA of 4.43, or 0.77 lower than the previous season, and the Bulldogs had one pitcher earn All-Conference honors.
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Prior to coaching at Union, Helton spent the 2012-13 season at St. Andrews University in North Carolina. As a volunteer coach at St. Andrews, he worked as an assistant to the pitching staff and coached first base. During Helton’s stint at St. Andrews, he helpled the team to a third-place finish in the Appalachian Athletic Conference for the 2013 regular season with an overall record of 25-22, collecting the most wins since 2005 while producing their first season above .500 since 2005.
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During the summer of 2014, Helton was the head coach of the Surfside Rays of the Beach Collegiate Baseball League in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He was also the head coach of the Rawlings Stars 17U Gold team based out of Myrtle Beach. During the summer of 2013, Helton was the pitching coach for the Shore Eagles of The Beach League in Myrtle Beach.
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Helton played collegiately at Maryville from 2007-11. In 2009 he was also a member of MC's Great South Athletic Conference championship team.
As an undergraduate, Helton earned a B.A. in Physical Education, Health, and Recreation for Teacher Licensure K-12 in 2011. He earned a M.A. in Education Leadership from Union College in 2015.Â
Helton is a native of Walland, Tennessee. He is married to the former Jenica Lamar, and they reside in Maryville with their son, Beau.
The Clint Helton Era
2020:Â Â Â 14-5Â Â (6-3 USA South) *COVID Abbreviated Season
2021:Â Â Â Â 9-21 (5-10 USA South) *COVID Abbreviated Season
2022:Â Â Â 22-16 (7-11 USA South)
2023:Â Â Â 26-17 (6-12 CCS)
2024:Â Â Â 30-14 (14-3 CCS)
CAREER: 101-73 (0.580) 38-39 Conference (.494)
