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The all-time winningest coach in school history, Ryan Bown is set to enter his 12th season as Penn State Harrisburg baseball head coach in 2023-24.

Under his leadership, the program has enjoyed unmatched success. Amassing nearly 250 wins during his time at Penn State Harrisburg, Bown has led the Lions to five NCAA Division III Tournament appearances (2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), four United East (formerly North Eastern Athletic Conference) Championships (2013, 2021, 2022, 2023) and a pair of Capital Athletic Conference (now Coast-to-Coast Conference) Championship Series appearances (2018, 2019). His players have racked up six all-America honors, three academic all-America accolades, three regional player of the year awards, 39 all-region honors, six conference major awards, four NCAA Statistical Championships, and 38 all-conference honors.

The 2023 campaign saw Penn State Harrisburg host an NCAA Regional for the first time after winning a program-record 34 games in 2023. Bown led the Lions to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament after winning a third straight United East Championship by rolling to a 27-7 victory over Penn College in the conference tournament’s deciding contest. Bown’s team won six games over nationally-ranked opponents the likes of Salisbury (twice), Arcadia (twice), Rowan, and Randolph-Macon, and ranked top-10 nationally in numerous offensive statistical categories, including batting average, walks, scoring, runs, on-base percentage, sacrifice flies, slugging percentage, and hits. Penn State Harrisburg hosted No. 2 Salisbury for a best-of-five NCAA Regional Series, highlighted by a 12-11 walk-off victory over the Sea Gulls in the second game of the series. 

Under Bown’s tutelage, nine players combined for 15 all-region honors in 2023, with Kevin Lehner (1T), Josh Berzonski (2T), Fisher Druck (2T), Lucas Floyd (2T), Brendan Henn (2T), Dallas Hite (2T), Matt Parks (2T), Carlos Irizarry (3T), and Maddux Ryan (3T) earning ABCA/Rawllings All-Region accolades, while Lehner (1T), Parks (1T), Ryan (2T), Berzonski (3T), Druck (3T), and Hite (3T) securing D3baseball.com All-Region recognition. Irizarry was named the United East Rookie of the Year and was joined by Berzonski, Druck, Danny Eden, Henn, Hite, Lehner, Parks, and Ryan as all-conference honorees.

In 2022, Bown guided Penn State Harrisburg to its third 30-win season in four years. The Blue & White defeated the defending national champions from Salisbury, as well as nationally-ranked Shenandoah, and won 17 straight games to end the regular season and begin postseason play. The Lions made their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and fourth NCAA appearance overall after besting Penn State Abington in the conference championship series to capture a second straight United East Title. It was the program’s third conference championship won during Bown’s tenure. Penn State Harrisburg ended the year receiving votes in the season's final American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) National Poll. 

Individually, Drew Harshbarger was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America First Team after a strong senior season on the mound and in the classroom. United East Pitcher of the Year Zach Gettys was tabbed a first-team all-region selection by both the ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com, while Harshbarger, Matt Parks, Kevin Lehner, and D3baseball.com Preseason Third-Team All-American Dallas Hite earned second-team all-region recognition from the ABCA. Chase Smith was tabbed an ABCA All-Region Third Teamer, while Parks and Hite also secured second-team all-region accolades from D3baseball.com. Gettys, Harshbarger, Parks, Hite, and Tyler Stabley picked up United East All-Conference First-Team honors to go along with second-team all-conference recognition for Lehner and Smith.

The 2021 campaign was one of the most successful in program history. After beginning the spring with a No. 27 preseason ranking by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN), it ended with the program’s third NCAA Tournament appearance and second conference championship. The Lions racked up eight wins against nationally and regionally-ranked opponents, swept Penn State Abington in the NEAC Championship Series, and defeated No. 24 Texas Lutheran in NCAA Tournament play. As a team, the Blue & White finished third in the nation in home runs per game, fifth in home runs, seventh in on-base percentage, seventh in walks, and eighth in scoring. Penn State Harrisburg ended the spring by receiving votes in the final D3baseball.com Top 25 National Ranking of the season.

Under Bown’s tutelage, Bret Williams and Hite earned all-America recognition in 2021. Williams was tabbed a first-team all-American by both the ABCA and D3baseball.com, while Hite was pegged a fourth-team all-American by the latter organization. Williams was named the Mid-Atlantic Regional Player of the Year by both the ABCA and D3baseball.com to go along with first-team all-region honors from both organizations. He was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team - his second straight academic all-America designation. Hite earned ABCA and D3baseball.com First-Team All-Region accolades, while Parks (2T – ABCA, 2T – D3baseball.com) and Harshbarger (2T – D3baseball.com, 3T – ABCA) also picked up all-region recognition. Williams was named the NEAC Player of the Year, Harshbarger was tabbed the NEAC Pitcher of the Year, and six players earned all-conference status. Williams, Harshbarger, Hite, and Parks received first-team honors, while Gettys and Smith were named to the all-conference second team.

The 2020 campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Penn State Harrisburg halted play after just 12 games. That summer, Williams became the first student-athlete in school history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors when he was named to the organization's academic all-America second team. He was also named CoSIDA Academic All-District earlier in the spring. Prior to the 2020 season, Williams was named a D3baseball.com Preseason First-Team All-American and he joined Travis Van Houten, Zak Koroneos, Smith and Tyler Jackson on the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN) Division III Players to Watch List. The Lions also earned their first-ever preseason ranking when they were tabbed No. 24 in the CBN 2020 Preseason NCAA Division III Poll.

The 2019 campaign saw the Blue & White rack up a program-record 33 wins and secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Penn State Harrisburg picked up its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory with a 13-12 win over Alvernia in May. As a team, the Lions ranked second in the nation in runs scored, third in home runs, third in walks, fifth in slugging percentage and fifth in hits. Penn State Harrisburg won five games against nationally-ranked teams and picked up 14 victories over teams that qualified for the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Williams, Miguel Torres and Van Houten were named CAC First-Team All-Conference, while Gettys earned second-team all-conference recognition.

Under Bown's guidance in 2019, Williams earned first-team all-America honors from the ABCA and D3baseball.com, while Torres was named an ABCA Second-Team All-American. Williams was named the ABCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Player of the Year to go along with first-team all-region recognition from the ABCA and D3baseball.com, as well as CAC Player of the Year honors. Torres joined Van Houten as ABCA First-Team All-Region honorees, while both were named second-team all-region by D3baseball.com. Williams (Hits – 88, Runs – 75, Total Bases – 161) and Van Houten (RBI – 71) also combined to win four NCAA Statistical Championships following the 2019 campaign.

The Lions made a run to the CAC Championship Series in the spring of 2018. Following the season, Williams became the first player in program history to earn all-region recognition when he secured ABCA All-Region First-Team honors. He was tabbed a CAC All-Conference First-Teamer, while Torres picked up second-team all-conference recognition.

In 2017, Williams earned Second-Team All-CAC honors thanks to his outstanding rookie season. In 2016, the Blue & White advanced to the CAC Playoffs for the first time since joining the conference in 2014.  They won their first postseason contest in memorable fashion, upsetting top-seeded Frostburg State. Mark Artley was named First-Team All-CAC for his efforts, while Brendan Riotto earned second-team all-conference honors. 

In 2013, Bown inherited a squad that combined to win 14 games the previous two seasons and finished last in the North East Athletic Conference (NEAC). During his first year at the helm, Bown’s team won a school-record 26 games, including 16 in a row. The one-year turnaround was the best among all teams in NCAA Division III that spring. The season ended with the program’s first NEAC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament. 

Bown’s first collegiate coaching gig came at Shippensburg University from 2008-2010, where he served as the team’s head assistant coach. In 2008, Shippensburg won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Title, the Atlantic Regional Championship, and made an appearance in the NCAA Division II World Series. A pair of Red Raiders from the 2008 squad were drafted.

Prior to arriving at Penn State Harrisburg, Bown spent two years at nearby Hershey High School. In 2012, the Trojans won their first ever Mid-Penn Conference Championship and finished the season with an impressive 22-2 record.

Bown is a 2004 graduate of Ursinus College. Following his senior year on the mound, he was named to the Centennial’s All-Conference Team and secured Centennial Academic All-Conference honors. He earned his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certificate and serves as Penn State Harrisburg’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for all 16 of the college’s varsity athletic programs. 

Bown resides in nearby Palmyra with his wife Rachel and two sons, Braydon and Nolan.

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