Aug. 31, 2005
ANNAPOLIS, MD. - Navy baseball head coach Paul Kostacopoulos has announced that former Maine assistant coach Scott Friedholm has been added to the coaching staff.
"I feel very fortunate to have coach Friedholm come from the University of Maine," said Kostacopoulos. "He certainly will be a tremendous asset to the United States Naval Academy and our pitching staff. His success with pitching has been proven consistently over the last four years. He has a great understanding of pitching mechanics and baseball in general."
Friedholm served the pitching coach on Kostacopoulos' coaching staff at Maine from 2002-05. During that time, he oversaw a pitching staff that guided the Black Bears to two NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2005, Maine's pitching staff held regional top-seed and national fifth-seed Southern Miss to two runs in a 12-2 victory in the NCAA Regional, the program's first tournament win since 1991.
In his four seasons directing the pitching corps, Friedholm had two of his pitchers drafted by MLB organizations. The Houston Astros selected Mike Collar in the eighth round of the 2003 draft, while the Toronto Blue Jays drafted Mike MacDonald in the 15th round a year later.
Prior to his time in Maine, Friedholm served as the pitching coach with Bryant in Smithfield, R.I. from 2000-01. In those two seasons, his pitching staff paved the way to set school records in both overall and Northeast-10 Conference wins in consecutive years.
Friedholm signed a free agent contract with the Tampa bay Devil Rays organization in June of 1998, where reported to the St. Petersburg Devil Rays of the Class A Florida State League. In 1999, he attended the Devil Rays' spring training camp.
Friedholm also played his first two seasons under Kostacopoulos during his collegiate career at Providence College. As a freshman in 1995, the four-year letterwinner was part of a group that won 44 games and a program-best 16 Big East Conference contests en route to an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. In 1996, Friedholm earned All-Big East and All-Region honors. During his senior season in 1998, he hit .395 with 13 home runs and a school-record 66 runs batted in, racking up third-team ABCA All-American honors.
"I'm very excited to be a part of this program and what this place stands for," Friedholm said. "This is an opportunity to continue coaching with coach Kostacopoulos. I think this is a place where it's done right and we can win with some hard work. I would like to thank (Director of Athletics) Chet Gladchuk for this opportunity to come on board here at the Naval Academy."
THE Scott Friedholm FILE
-Served as pitching coach on head coach Paul Kostacopoulos' staff at Maine from 2002-05
-Guided pitching staffs in 2002 and 2005 to NCAA Tournament appearances
-Oversaw a pitching corps that defeated national fifth-seed and regional top-seed Southern Miss 12-2 in the 2005 NCAA Tournament
-Had two pitchers selected in the MLB draft during his tenure at Maine
-Assisted as pitching coach at Bryant from 2000-01, setting school records in both overall and conference wins in back-to-back seasons
-Four-year letterwinner at Providence College, playing his first two seasons under head coach Paul Kostacopoulos
-Third-team ABCA All-American in 1998 hitting .395 with 13 home runs and program-record 66 runs batted in
-Played professionally in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization, attending the parent club's spring training camp in 1999
