RBI coach Gamblin named SMD Bulldogs showcase team head coach

The new baseball coach for the Southern Maryland Bulldogs 18U college showcase team based at Calvert HS (Prince Frederick, Md.) is familiar for fans of Maryland youth/travel baseball.

Jerry Gamblin replaces Joe Willis, who moved to assistant coach and manager.

Gamblin played college baseball for the University of Michigan as a catcher.

“It was not unexpected,” Gamblin said. “I expected to be head coaching again this year and have been planning for a while, and I’m tremendously honored to be named to this position."

In recent years, Gamblin has been involved with coaching the Maryland RBI 19U advanced skills development team affiliate of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (AAU) and fall pick up teams such as RBI Legends. He also coached Northern Calvert Little League senior league teams, including four consecutive Calvert County senior league championship teams (2012, '13, '14, '15).

“Coach Gamblin has been an awesome partner and friend and one of my favorite guys in baseball," said Maryland RBI manager Mike Graham. "He understands the culture and workings of a quality program, and has the personality and the leadership characteristics and track record for the lead role in any setting."

Maryland RBI is coming off its winningest year ever (34-12, .739 pct.) since the team first assembled in 2009. Last year coaches Graham, Chris Cummings, Jim Hoyer, Ray Albaugh, and Jerry Gamblin were named the Maryland AAU Baseball Coaching Staff of the Year.

Over a 7-year period, they built Maryland RBI into a Mid-Atlantic States regional brand with national profile, winning a record three consecutive Maryland AAU State Championships (2012, ’13, ’14) and earning a Maryland AAU record-setting number of five consecutive AAU National Championships invitation-only or automatic bids.

In that span, Maryland RBI won 215 games and set the standard for excellence for AAU Baseball in Maryland, including appearing in the AAU National Championships, finishing #5 in the nation (’13).

“Maryland RBI has been an amazing ride and I now look forward to this new coaching opportunity,” said Gamblin. "I will coach with RBI through the AAU Baseball wood bat league season, then focus on the summer showcase season with Southern Maryland Bulldogs. I am happiest running my own operation,” he said.

“After all these years as part of the Maryland RBI machine, I have learned a lot that I hope to incorporate with Southern Maryland Bulldogs. We are going to work hard and take pride in what we do, and my goal is to make every player that puts on that Bulldogs jersey the best ballplayer they can possibly be, while focusing on getting them college recruiting looks and showcasing their talents to college coaches at tournaments,” he said.

"In the end baseball is baseball,” he said. “And I love it."