Andy Barlow had brief pro stint, long run as college coach

MIT achieved a rarity in Division 3 ball in 2017 and head coach Andy Barlow got to reap the accolades and the rewards, according to MITAthletics.com.

The rarity came in the form of two players from that year's club getting drafted into the pros.

"From a recruiting standpoint, it's big because kids in high school will say, 'Wow, high academics and two kids drafted into pro ball,'" Barlow told MITAthletics.

Barlow continued at MIT in 2019, his 17th season at the school. He'd previously coached elsewhere, including Colgate.

But for at least one season in 1990, Barlow got a taste of the pros himself, as an assistant general manager for the short-season Jamestown Expos. (Barlow appears to be on the right in 1990 card photo.)

Barlow started out at the University of Vermont, where he graduated in 1985. He also earned a masters in sports management. He then became an assistant baseball coach at the University of Maryland in 1988, according to MIT.

He then joined Jamestown for the summer of 1990, gaining him some professional experience for his college jobs ahead, according to The Associated Press.

Barlow moved to Colgate University as an assistant baseball coach in 1991, and then took the top job there in 1993. He joined Vassar in 1995. He coached nine seasons at Vassar, managing the team to a school-record 19 wins in 2002, according to MIT.

He then joined MIT for 2003 and remains there for 202. Along the way, his clubs posted 15 winning seasons in 16 tries. He's also won conference coach of the year honors four times and his 2015 club won a school-record 29 games and reached the NCAA regional finals, according to MIT.

After one win in that 2015 run, Barlow gave all the credit to his starter, K.J. Parent, who threw a complete game, according to The Hartford Courant.

"He just gutted it out," Barlow told The Courant. "We were thinking about taking the ball away from him in the ninth inning. He said, 'No way.' K.J. was outstanding for us the whole game and their guy was just as good for a long time."

• Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin, Associated Press, May 8, 1993: Colgate promotes aide to head baseball program
• Hartford Courant, May 15, 2015: MIT Eliminates Wesleyan From NCAA Tournament, 4-1
• MITAthletics.com, April 4, 2018: New England Baseball Journal
• MITAthletics.com: Andy Barlow

More: The 1990 Jamestown Expos

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:3,257
Made the Majors:1,174-36.1%
Never Made Majors:2,083-63.9%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 485
10+ Seasons in the Minors:286