Coach Don Gilbert: 

Titles: 

Baseball Coach and Instructor

Speaker- Athletic Activities

Baseball Camp Director and Instructor

1st Coaching Experience:

Glen Burnie High School

Junior Varsity Head Coach, Asst. Varsity Coach – 1994

Reference:  Bruce Sider   Head Coach and Athletic Director

1st Varsity Coaching Experience:                                                                               

Northeast HS Head Coach, Pasadena,Maryland- 1995

Reference:  Al Kohlhafer  Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach

Current Coaching Assignment:

Dunbar High School, Baltimore,Maryland  1998-current

Background:

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1969. In 1975, I played my first year of Little League with the Eastfield Community system in Dundalk, Maryland.  I moved to Pasadena, Maryland in 1978 to continue my baseball career with the Havenwood Little League organization until 1984.  I was selected for All-stars for each organization from 1975-1984.

In 1985, I was selected to play for the nationally renown Wagners Orioles 18 and under traveling select team.  This team was sponsored by the Baltimore Orioles, Wagners and Sons’, and Clayton Jacobsen, longtime Orioles Mid-Atlantic scout, which toured the DelMarVa region playing high school and college elite teams. From 1985-1987, I played Varsity baseball for Northeast High School for regionally known Harry Lentz.  I was a two time batting champion (85,87), 3 time All State(metro) and all county selection, player of the year in 1987 for the Maryland Gazette and Baltimore Sun newspapers, and a selection to the Crown All-Star game played at the former Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

I was given a full scholarship to continue my baseball career at Winthrop University for Horace Turbeville from 1987-1991.  I was a two-time All Big South Selection at 3rd base (90-91), batting champion in 1990, and a pre-season All-American selection for the Big South in 1991.  I graduated in 1991 with a B.A. in History with a minor in Social Sciences.  In 1996, I also minored in Education at Bowie State.

In July of 1991, I was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Baltimore Orioles.  I completed my first full season at Bluefield for their rookie club.  I was assigned to Kane County full season “A” ball in 1992.  In 1993,  I completed spring training with Bowie (AA) and Rochester(AAA) with a brief appearance with the Orioles before my release later that year.  Upon my release to my first coaching job, I was a motivational and baseball speaker at schools, baseball leagues, and made personal appearances at local establishments.

Coaching Experiences:

In 1994, I was hired as the Junior Varsity Head Coach and the Assistant Varsity Coach for Glen Burnie High School.  I had an 8-2 conference record and 11-8 overall record during my only year as coach at Glen Burnie. I was given the field managerial position for Northeast High school in 1995 as Harry Lentz was suffering from cancer in which he passed on later the following year.  I received the full-time varsity position in 1996 where we went 16-8 and lost in the State Championship game.  I was awarded the Maryland State Coach of the year in 1996 for my team’s success.  I was also selected in that same year and in 1997 to manage the Joe Cannon All-Stars, which was comprised of seniors who were selected by the coaches of Anne Arundel County. In 1997, I accepted a new teaching and coaching position at Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Maryland where I am still the current Head Varsity Baseball coach and history teacher.  In 1998, our school won the first ever city championship by going 15-0 and I was awarded the City Co-Coach of the year for my teams’ success. In 2007, the team went a perfect 16-0 and won the Baltimore City Championship.  We finished in the Regional Semifinals and completed a school record 17-1.  Both of my seniors went to school this year, Maine and Morgan State Universities respectfully. In 2010, we were 19-2 and went to our first regional championship in the 1A south and lost to Surrattsville High School, 11-5. I’ve had over 27 student-athletes go to college to play baseball during my tenure at Dunbar.  They have attended such schools as Virginia State, Penn State, Coppin State, Maine, Johns Hopkins, N.C. State, BCCC, Eastern Mennonite, Alabama A&M, various community colleges, and many others.

Advanced Teams I played for:

1984-1987           Northeast High School

1984-1988           Arundel Sun Newspapers All-Star Game

1987                    Crown Senior All-Stars

1987-88               Junior Team USA – Selection (no games ever played)

1987-1991           Winthrop University

1991-1993           Baltimore Orioles Farm system, various levels (Rookie-AAA)

Honors and Awards:

1885,86,87        All-Anne Arundel County, All State/Metro

1987                  Maryland and Anne Arundel County Player of the Year

Maryland Career hits leader (107) and 3 year average (.461)

Northeast HS 12 career records

1989,1990         All Big South – 3rd Baseman

1990                  Big South Batting Champion (.345)

1991                  Preseason All-American Baseball America Big South Selection-3rd Baseman

1996                  Maryland and Anne Arundel County Coach of the year

1996,97             Joe Cannon Senior All-Stars, manager

1998                  Co-Coach of the year for Baltimore City, Baltimore Sun

2007                  Baltimore Sun Coach of the Year

2007                  Northeast High School Inaugural Member Hall of Fame

2007                  MSABC MD State Assoc. Baseball Coaches Coach of the Year District 9

2009                  MSABC MD State Assoc. Baseball Coaches Coach of the Year District 9

Playing Statistics:

Team         Year      G     AB     H     R     2B     3B     HR     BB     RBI     SB     AVG

N’east JV      1984    18     76     47     22     8       2       1         18      10       11      .618

Northeast      85-87     65    232   107   88     17      7       2         37      48       30      .461

Winthrop U.    1988     17     36    12     6       2        0       1         25        4         1      .333

Winthrop U.    1989     33    118   42    24      12      0       3        17      36        3       .356

Winthrop U.    1990     51    194   67    35      10      0       1        25     19         7       .345

Winthrop U.    1991     41    157   54    31       9       3       7        20     20         5       .344

Bluefield O’s   1991    34    114   31    21      7       1       2         26     17         3       .272

Kane County   1992    113   293   73     32     13      1       3        55     44         3      .249

Bowie Baysocks  1993    *** stats unavailable, released before season started.

Coaching Records:                                                 W      L    advancement in playoffs

1994  Glen Burnie HS Junior Varsity                      11      8         N/A

1995  Northeast HS Varsity (co-Head coach)           5    14         Regional Semi-Finalist

1996  Northeast HS Varsity                                    16     8           State Finalist

1997  Northeast HS Varsity                                    10     9           Regional Finalist

1998  Dunbar HS Varsity                                        15     1           Regional Semi-Finalist

1999  Dunbar HS                                                     13     2           Regional Quarterfinalist

2000  Dunbar HS                                                     10     6           Regional Quarterfinalist

2001  Dunbar HS                                                     10     6           Regional Quarterfinalist

2002  Dunbar HS                                                      9      8           Regional Semi-Finalist

2003  Dunbar HS                                                      7      9           Regional Semi-Finalist

2004  Dunbar HS                                                      6      8           Regional Quarterfinalist

2005  Dunbar HS                                                      6      12         Regional Semi-Finalist

2006  Dunbar HS                                                      4      10         Regional Quarterfinalist

2007  Dunbar HS                                                     17     1           Regional Semi-Finalist

2008  Dunbar HS                                                     13     2           Regional Semi-Finalist

2009  Dunbar HS                                                     14     1           Regional Quarterfinalist

Totals                                                                     173   98          .638 winning percentage