MSU President's Newspaper Column
February 25, 2023
Head Baseball Coach Scott Berry, a ‘true blue’ Comet, set to retire this spring after a stellar career
Legendary Mayville State head baseball coach Scott Berry has announced his plan to retire at the end of the current baseball season. Coach Berry has enjoyed a stellar career, and I am happy for his opportunity to enjoy a new chapter in life and a well-deserved retirement filled with many blessings. Coach Berry has not only made his mark locally at his alma mater, but he has also kept Mayville State on our country’s collegiate baseball map for more than 40 years.
In the 1970s, Scott Berry came from his hometown of LaMoure, N.D. to Mayville State. He enrolled as a student and played for another legendary Mayville State baseball coach, Al Meyer. Berry lettered four years and received all-conference honors his junior and senior seasons.
After graduating from Mayville State in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree, he coached baseball teams in Ellendale, Binford, Rolla, and Casselton, N.D. before returning to Mayville as an assistant baseball coach for Al Meyer in 1981. Berry became head coach for the Comets in 1982. Meyer and Berry are the only two coaches to have been at the helm of Comets Baseball in 75 years. That’s an amazing statistic that speaks volumes for the dedication and success of these highly regarded individuals.
In 41 years, Berry’s Comets have won 23 regular season conference championships (including 17 in a row from 1986-2002) and 23 conference tournament championships. His teams have made 29 appearances in the NAIA national playoffs. Under Coach Berry, the Comets have won three NAIA regional titles and the 2002 Plains Super Regional title. They finished in fifth place at the NAIA World Series in 2002.
His impressive winning record and the respect of his colleagues has earned him conference coach of the year honors 24 times, District 12 Coach of the Year 12 times, and NAIA Region Coach of the Year four times.
Coach Berry has not only had extraordinary success with the Mayville State baseball team. He also coached summer amateur ball with the Red Caps. His Red Caps teams were in the state finals six out of seven years and won championships in 1981 and 1984.
Scott is a very active past and present participant in local, state, and national baseball organizations, including the North Dakota Baseball Coaches Association, North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC), USA Baseball, American Baseball Coaches Association, and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
The accolades for Coach Berry are many. In 1998, the North Dakota Associated Press Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association honored Berry with the “Special Achievement Award.” In 1999, Berry was recognized by his NAIA Great Plains Region coaching peers as being the Great Plains Region Coach of the Year. In 2001, he was named Region 3 Coach of the Year. The baseball field at Mayville State University was named in Scott Berry’s honor in 2010. In that same year, he received the NAIA Robert E Smith Achievement Award which is presented to an NAIA coach or administrator who has demonstrated unselfish promotion of NAIA Baseball. In 2011, Berry was presented with the FCA Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award which is presented annually to the college or high school baseball coach who best exemplifies the Christian principles of character, integrity, excellence, teamwork, and service on and off the baseball field. Coach Berry was selected for the ABCA Dave Keilitz “Ethics in Coaching” Award in 2017.
Coach Berry has been inducted into seven halls of fame: Mayville State University Athletic Hall of Fame (1996), NAIA Hall of Fame for Baseball, the NAIA’s highest honor (2002), North Dakota Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame (2003), Christian Sports Commission Hall of Fame (2009), Central Cass High School Athletic Hall of Fame (2014), American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2017), and North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame (2018).
Scott Berry is a loyal and faithful employee of Mayville State University who has served the members of the Mayville State family well. In addition to serving as our head baseball coach, he has filled a number of other roles over the years, including Instructor in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Director of Housing, Assistant Athletic Director, and more.
Coach Berry has mentored his players not only as athletes, but also as men. His dedication to his alma mater shines through in the many ways he has demonstrated his unwavering support for the university, and his efforts have strengthened and improved the institution. I wish this respected “true blue” Comet all the best in his last season at the helm of Comets Baseball and a long and happy upcoming retirement.