His devotion to game to be rewarded 300-fold Baseball: Old Mill coach Mel Montgomery's love affair with the game hasn't waned in 20 years on the job, and now he's on the verge of becoming fourth coach in Anne Arundel County to win 300 games.

"The big difference is that they have more diversions today," said Montgomery. "When I first started, the biggest thing for the kids on a given day would be baseball practice; that's not so anymore. They used to all pile into one car after practice. Now you look at the parking lot and they all have their own cars, good cars."

Through it all, Old Mill's baseball team has been a constant. That hasn't changed.

Montgomery file

Old Mill baseball coach Mel Montgomery's teams have won 298 of 401 games in his career, a .743 winning percentage. Year by year:

Year .. ..Record .. .. ..Year .. ... ..Record

1979 .. .. 6-10 .. .. .. 1989 .. .. .. . 20-1

1980 .. .. 20-2 .. .. .. 1990 .. .. .. . 19-4

1981 .. .. 13-6 .. .. .. 1991 .. .. .. . 15-7

1982 .. .. 16-3 .. .. .. 1992 .. .. .. . 13-7

1983 .. .. 11-7 .. .. .. 1993 .. .. .. . 14-6

1984 .. .. 21-3 .. .. .. 1994 .. .. .. . 16-6

1985 .. .. 20-3 .. .. .. 1995 .. .. .. . 12-6

1986 .. .. 8-12 .. .. .. 1996 .. .. .. . 19-4

1987 .. .. 13-7 .. .. .. 1997 .. .. .. . 21-3

1988 .. .. 15-5 .. .. .. 1998 .. .. .. . *6-1

* Through April 3

State championships: 1980, 1989

Region championships: 1980, 1984-85, 1989-90

Anne Arundel County championships: 1981-82, 1985, 1988-91, 1993, 1996-97

Anne Arundel's elite baseball coaches

Coach .. .. .. ..School(s)/tenure .. .. ..1998 .. .. .Career .. .. .Pct.

Bernie Walter ... Arundel 1974-98 .. .. .. 4-3 .. .. 411-116.. .. . .780

Jim Pitt .. .. .. Annapolis (1970-73),

.. .. .. .. .. .. Severna Park (1974-98) . 6-1 .. .. 360-210.. .. . .632

Harry Lentz* .. ..Northeast (1966-95) .. ...-- .. .. 349-200.. .. . .636

Mel Montgomery ...Old Mill (1979-98) .. .. 6-1 .. .. 298-103.. .. . .743

* Deceased

Pub Date: 4/05/98