Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics

In the history of NAIA baseball, no one has had a better career winning percentage than Embry-Riddle's Kevin Maloney. The unheralded left-hander came to ERAU barely able to throw a bullpen, but left three years later as one of the most impactful players in the storied program's history.
 
A native of Dunedin, Florida, Maloney spent the 2011-13 seasons with the Eagles. He earned a spot on the roster as a walk-on and under the tutelage of pitching coach Dave Therneau, transformed himself into the winningest pitcher in NAIA history.
 
Maloney posted an impressive 31-2 (.939) record over his three seasons with the Eagles, including a pair of perfect seasons in 2011 (10-0) and 2012 (9-0), en route to earning NAIA All-American honors as a junior and a senior. In 41 career starts, Maloney posted 27 quality starts with a 2.62 ERA in 264.2 innings. The Blue and Gold hurler became just the fourth Eagle baseball player to earn three All-Conference honors in his career when he completed the feat as a senior. He was also an NAIA Preseason All-American in 2013 and won The Sun Conference Gold Glove award as a sophomore.
 
Maloney helped lead the Eagles to 144 wins over his three seasons, including a 41-4 (.911) mark in games he appeared in, as well as three straight Sun Conference regular season titles, two Sun Conference tournament crowns and three straight trips to the NAIA World Series, including a third-place showing in his senior campaign.
 
While with the Embry-Riddle baseball program, Maloney served as a team captain, the Student-Athlete Leadership Team representative, and was a big part of the Big Brothers volunteer program that won Volusia County Volunteers of the Year award.
 
Maloney graduated from Embry-Riddle in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and earned his Master's degree in Management from ERAU in 2016.
 
"Kevin was, and still is, the definition of what we want from our student-athletes here at Embry-Riddle. He was not only one of the best pitchers we have ever had, he was also one of the very best teammates. Kevin won nearly 95% of the games in which he made an appearance while at Embry-Riddle, but more important than what he did on the field, it was his effect on his teammates off the mound that I believe made the biggest impact for our program."
Randy Stegall
Head Baseball Coach, Embry-Riddle University (2007-present)
 
"Kevin's statistics, as we all know, are more than impressive, but to really understand what he did in that Embry-Riddle uniform, you have to know the back story. Kevin emailed me with no place to go, nobody willing to take a chance on him. We brought him in for a bullpen and he could hardly throw the ball because he was in so much pain. We offered him a walk-on spot and even though when he first arrived he could barely throw more than inning at a time, he worked and battled his way into our weekend rotation while working his arm back into shape. Kevin was so appreciative of his opportunity; he nailed every single aspect of being a student-athlete at Embry-Riddle. He represented, and still represented, the baseball program and the university at the highest level."
Dave Therneau
Associate Baseball Head Coach, Stetson University (2016-present)
Pitching Coach, Embry-Riddle University (2007-15)
 
"Kevin came to Embry-Riddle unsure if he could ever compete in college baseball again, and at an age when most students are a few credits shy of a degree. Always a quiet leader, Kevin worked through months of training and offseason practices to earn a role in our starting rotation. His integrity and punctuality helped hold others accountable, as our top starting pitcher showed up to every class, workout, and practice on time, never taking a day off. The young man who wasn't sure about pitching left ERAU with a win-loss record no NAIA pitcher will likely ever touch.
 
"Off the field, Kevin also embraced his opportunity to earn an education…he competed in the classroom as hard as he did on the mound, and with a similar demeanor: calm, consistent, and reliable. After earning his Bachelor's degree, Kevin balanced a full-time job and part-time classes to earn his Master's from Embry-Riddle, of which he is supremely proud.
 
"Kevin continues to be an ambassador of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Embry-Riddle Athletics, taking advantage of every opportunity the school offered him years ago, and paying it forward as a beacon of perseverance and integrity in the professional world."
Adam Cellini
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2011-13)