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Adam Enright Steps Down as Oilmen Manager

08/05/2018 10:23 AM -

Whiting, Ind. – Aug. 5, 2018 – The Adam Enright Era reached a storybook ending on Saturday night at Oil City Stadium.

A day after the Northwest Indiana Oilmen beat the DuPage County Hounds 6-3 to sweep the 2018 Midwest Collegiate League Championship Series, the team has officially announced that Enright has stepped down after four seasons as manager.

Enright was promoted to Oilmen manager in 2015 after three seasons as an assistant coach. He succeeded Justin Huisman, the team’s inaugural manager. Enright has been with the Oilmen since 2012, the first year of the franchise. He was recently hired as the head baseball coach at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., his first job as a collegiate head coach.

“Managing the Oilmen has helped me grow professionally as I’ve learned how to manage a lot of moving parts both on the field and off the field,” Enright said. “It has given me a complete scope of what it means to actually be in charge of a baseball team rather than just the coaching itself as an assistant. This will be a really valuable experience for me as I begin my next adventure.”

During his seven seasons on the Oilmen coaching staff, Enright instructed all 183 players who have competed for the Oilmen. He won two MCL championships in his four seasons as manager, joining Chris Cunningham (Southland) as the only managers in league history with multiple MCL titles. Enright instructed the Midwest Collegiate League MVP in three of his four seasons as manager and twice coached the MCL Postseason MVP.

“We’re tremendously thankful for Adam’s efforts and accomplishments during his four seasons as our manager and his seven seasons with our club,” Oilmen President Don Popravak said. “Adam was intent on improving his players in the summer and helped take our on-field product to new heights. We wish Adam and his wife Kimmy all the best as they begin their new adventure in Missouri. He’ll be missed by the entire organization.”

Enright is the all-time leader in managerial wins for the Oilmen. Following Saturday’s win, he reflected on his personal growth during his Oilmen tenure.

“I remember being way more emotional when I started,” he said. “I wanted to take BP and hit IO every single day and get here early before BP and overdo it and over-invest time and emotion to the point where it was hurting our team. Now that I’m older, I’ve learned to work smarter and not harder. Harder doesn’t always mean better, but smarter always means better. As a manger, I had limited time and resources, so I was able to cut it down to what’s really important.”

When asked about a personal favorite Oilmen player, a smiling Enright hesitated before declining to name a single individual.

“I’ll always remember the relationships and the people I’ve met,” he said. “I’ve gotten close to players and coaches in the league, and also to college coaches that I’ve gotten to know because they’ve sent us players. It’s opened up a whole network of professional friends and acquaintances.”

Popravak and the Oilmen will immediately begin a search for the third manager of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen with hopes of finding someone who can sustain the winning tradition of a team that has reached the postseason and finished above .500 in each of its seven seasons.