An Olney native and Sherwood High School graduate is headed to college baseball’s biggest stage.
Anthony Papio, a member of Sherwood’s Class of 2011, helped lead the University of Alabama baseball program to its first NCAA Men’s College World Series appearance in 27 years as the Crimson Tide punched their ticket to Omaha this weekend. The berth ends a drought that stretched back to 1999.
Papio is currently an assistant coach and hitting coach for Alabama, where he works with the team’s hitters, offense and recruiting efforts. He joined the Crimson Tide staff in 2023 after spending seven seasons at the University of Maryland in various coaching roles.
A Montgomery County native, Papio grew up in Olney and starred at Sherwood High School before continuing his baseball career at Maryland. As an outfielder for the Terrapins from 2012 through 2016, he became part of one of the most successful stretches in program history. He later remained with the program as a student assistant, volunteer assistant and full-time assistant coach (University of Maryland Athletics).
According to Alabama Athletics, his coaching résumé includes helping develop multiple All-Americans, MLB Draft selections and conference award winners during Maryland’s rise as a Big Ten power. He followed former Maryland head coach Rob Vaughn to Alabama ahead of the 2024 season.
Now, Papio is part of an Alabama staff that has helped return one of college baseball’s historic programs to Omaha for the first time since the turn of the century.
