Cirella on Andrew McKeon - "Andrew was a hidden gem that really came on my radar in July through conversations with other coaches in the region. He will be filling Coach Kehew's role as pitching coach/recruiting coordinator and so far, he's been a breath of fresh air. He's got a lot of knowledge and energy, and he is really connecting with many of the recruits. I expect the same as he works with our student-athletes. His philosophies are consistent with mine and he should really be able to hit the ground running in September. Andrew is a guy who has been in coaching for a few years now and is really starting to blossom. We are extremely lucky to have him around."
Andrew McKeon joined the Salve Regina baseball staff in July of 2018, taking over as the program’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. McKeon is oversees the development of all pitchers on the staff, assists in working with the hitters and is responsible for developing the year-round strength and conditioning needs of the baseball team. He also assists in all operational tasks of the baseball program such as fundraising and academic support. Since joining the staff, the program has gone 157-58-5 overall and has also earned the ABCA Academic Excellence award in each school year.
Salve set another school record for wins in 2024 with 40, finishing at 40-10 and earning the program’s first Regional and Super Regional victories as well as the first appearance in the College World Series in East Lake, Ohio. Salve Regina was victorious as the #1 seed in the Cortland (NY) regional after defeating Colby, Cortland, and Washington and Jefferson before traveling south to Maryland and sweeping Salisbury. In the World Series, Salve Regina was named the #2 seed in the field and the host of Bracket 2 while winning its first two games before falling short to Wisconsin-Whitewater in the bracket final. Throughout the year, the team again ranked highly across the nation in several offensive and pitching categories including ranking second nationally in earned run average and tying for the lead in shutouts. Additionally, the pitching staff ranked 15th in hits allowed per 9, 13th in strikeout-to-walk ratio, 26th in strikeouts per 9, and 9th in WHIP. Offensively, the team ranked 17th in batting average, 4th in times hit by pitch, 6th in hits, 11th in runs and 29th in stolen bases. Sean Mulligan earned NEWMAC and Regional Pitcher of the Year along with third team All-American. Matt D’Amato was also named All-American as an outfielder, joining six other teammates on all-region teams.
Finishing at 39-10-1 in 2023 was good enough to set a new school record in wins. Although the Seahawks fell short in the CCC Championship game, the team earned their second consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and their first ever #1 seed in the Dallas (PA) regional. Salve Regina again finished as a regional finalist, ending what was the best season in school history. Offensively, Christian Homa led an attack that ranked in the Top 25 in batting average (18th), doubles (20th), times hit by pitch (12th), hits (14th), on-base percentage (25th) and runs (11th). The pitching staff put together another strong year, ranking highly in shutouts (9th), ERA (11th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (27th), strikeouts per 9 (10th) and WHIP (9th). Homa was also named a First Team All-American following the year. Sean Mulligan was named conference and regional Rookie of the Year. Additionally, seven Seahawks earned all-region recognition, and the team appeared in the Top 25 national poll as high as #13 and finished the year in the Top 20.
Following another 30-win season (30-13-2), an undefeated record in CCC play (14-0-2) and a second consecutive conference regular season title, Salve Regina was also awarded the first at-large bid to the NCAA tournament in program history where they were the #3 seed in a very strong Lynchburg (VA) regional. Salve Regina finished as a regional finalist to end one of the most successful years in school history. During a year in which the team played the 18th most difficult schedule in the nation, the pitching staff ranked in the Top 10 nationally in ERA (6th), hits allowed per 9 (3rd), shutouts (10th), strikeouts per 9 (3rd), strikeout-to-walk ratio (10th), in addition to leading the country with 481 strikeouts. Following the year, Dominic Perachi was named a First Team All-American (the first in school history), selected in the 11th round of the MLB draft to the Pittsburgh Pirates (320th overall) and was named National, Regional and Conference Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, Patrick Maybach and Andrew Roman also earned conference and regional recognition.
The 2021 Seahawks finished 16-7-1 in a COVID modified season, including a 7-2-1 record in conference play; good enough for a regular season conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. In the modified six-team regional, Salve Regina went 2-2 as the #4 seed before bowing out as regional semi-finalists. Over the course of the year, the Seahawks ranked in the Top 50 nationally in strikeouts per 9, ERA and WHIP. The pitching staff also was 10th in the country in hits allowed per 9.
The 2020 season for Salve Regina looked promising as the team raced out to a 4-0 start prior to the cancellation of the season due to the pandemic. The pitching staff was off to a strong start as they ranked second in the country in WHIP and strikeouts per nine, and third in hits allowed and strikeout-to-walk ratio. Additionally, the offense ranked in the top fifteen in the country in scoring prior to the shutdown. Once again, the baseball program was recognized for academic excellence by the ABCA with a 3.18 GPA
The 2019 Seahawks were crowned CCC tournament champions and advanced to the Hartford (CT) regional as the #3 seed. The team finished the year 28-18 and placed nine on all-conference teams, including the conference player of the year (Zach Smith) and the conference leader in strikeouts. The pitching staff led the CCC in strikeouts and ranked second in ERA. Individually, two pitchers found themselves in the top fifteen nationwide in strikeouts per 9 innings and top five in the conference in ERA and strikeouts. Offensively, the team led the CCC in hits and ranked second in batting average. In addition, one player was named CoSIDA academic all-district and the team received ABCA recognition for academic excellence with a 3.09 GPA.
Prior to coming to Salve Regina, McKeon spent a year as part of an Anna Maria College coaching staff in 2018 which inherited a 7-31 ball club. While serving as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, Anna Maria recorded 16 wins, the highest total for the program in almost a decade and made their first conference tournament appearance in six years. The Amcats saw vast improvement in every statistical category and three players earned all-conference honors. In 2017, McKeon spent the year as the pitching coach at Fitchburg State University. Under his guidance, the Falcons finished the year as the third seed in the MASCAC tournament for the second consecutive year.
McKeon also has experience coaching at several levels of baseball including the collegiate summer circuit as he spent 2017 and 2018 in the dugout with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. McKeon was responsible for managing the pitching staff daily as well as assisting in coordinating travel arrangements for the team. In both seasons, the team finished in the top three in ERA and strikeouts, culminating in a 36-17 finish and a league championship in 2018. At the high school level, McKeon spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, where he worked primarily with the pitchers and had a hand in all baseball operations. Moses Brown experienced some of their most successful seasons during this period, most notably in 2015 as they made an appearance in the Rhode Island final four, bolstered by a pitching staff which led the state with a 1.77 ERA.
A 2015 graduate of Rhode Island College, McKeon earned a bachelor’s degree in Community Health and Wellness with a concentration in Wellness and Movement studies, while also minoring in coaching. As a pitcher for the Anchormen from 2009-2013, he found success in several roles during his tenure which included a team leading 4.38 ERA as a freshman. Following his playing career, McKeon joined the staff as a student assistant while continuing to pursue his degree and was involved in all aspects of the program from day to day operations to game and practice management and recruiting.
