One of the most heralded and respected baseball coaches in America, Scott Berry runs one of the most outstanding college baseball programs in the nation. A member of seven halls of fame and an active participant in local, regional, and national baseball organizations, Berry has kept Mayville State on the collegiate baseball map for more than four decades.
In 41 years since becoming the Comets head coach in 1982, Berry's teams have won 23 regular season conference championships (including 17 in a row from 1986-2002), 23 conference tournament championships, and have made 29 appearances in the NAIA national playoffs. The Mayville State University Comets have won three NAIA regional titles under Scott Berry, won the 2002 Plains Super Regional title, and finished in 5th place at the NAIA World Series in 2002.
Coach Berry’s career record as head coach after 41 years in the NAIA stands at 1172-674 -1, which is good for a winning percentage of 0.639 even though over most of all MSU baseball games have been played on the road. Coach Berry has been named as Conference Coach of the Year 24 times, District 12 Coach of the Year 12 times, NAIA Region Coach of the Year 4 times.
Berry has a tradition-rich background in the game of baseball. Growing up in LaMoure, N.D., Berry participated on American Legion teams in LaMoure that won one State B Championship in 1970 and finished as Runner-Up in the State Regional playoffs three times. After graduating high school, Berry went to Mayville State University to play for the Comets and their legendary coach, Al Meyer. He lettered four years and received all-conference honors his junior and senior seasons.
After graduating from Mayville State, Berry coached baseball teams in Ellendale, Binford, Rolla and Casselton, N.D. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant baseball coach for Al Meyer in 1981 and became the head coach for the 1982 season. Scott also coached the summer amateur baseball team in Mayville when his “Red Caps” were in the state finals six out of seven years, coming away with championships in 1981 and 1984.
A very active participant in local, state, and national baseball organizations, Berry has served or is currently serving as an officer or committee chairperson in the North Dakota Baseball Coaches Association, North Dakota Amateur Baseball Coaches Association, North Dakota College Athletic Conference, USA Baseball, American Baseball Coaches Association, and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
In 1992, Berry represented USA Baseball as a task force member responsible for administering the National Junior Baseball Championships in Boise, Idaho. In August 1992, Scott began an eight-year stint as an officer for the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association and served as president in 2000. Berry served as an officer for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), the largest baseball coaches association in the world, and became president of the organization in January of 2014. Berry now serves on the ABCA Board of Directors.
In 1996, Berry was honored by his alma mater with his induction into the Mayville State University Athletic Hall of Fame. 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, Berry was named Region 3 Coach of the year. The NAIA awarded Berry with its highest honor by inducting him into the NAIA Hall of Fame for Baseball in 2002. In 2003, Berry was named to his third hall of fame by being inducted into the North Dakota Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame. In 2009, Berry was inducted into the Christian Sports Commission Hall of Fame; his fourth Hall of Fame award in his tenure at Mayville State. In 2017, Coach Berry was named ABCA Dave Keilitz “Ethics in Coaching” Award.
In 2010 the baseball field at Mayville State University was named in his honor. In 2010 Berry received the NAIA Robert E. Smith Achievement Award. This award is presented to an NAIA coach or administrator who has demonstrated unselfish promotion of NAIA baseball. In 2011 Berry was awarded the FCA Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award. This award 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. In 2014, he was inducted into the Central Cass High School Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was also inducted into the Americna Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and in 2018 he was inducted into the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.
