SxSE: Coach John Pawlowski's Auburn Tigers

♦ Recruiting footprint:  Based on recent rosters, Pawlowski tends to recruit from Alabama, Georgia, California and Texas.

♦ Time running out for Tigers baseball coach (Auburn Plainsman)

Looking at the numbers, the Tiger’s record doesn’t add up.

The Tigers boasted the highest batting average (.304) as well as the highest on base percentage (.386) in the SEC. Runners were getting on.

The problem does not come from moving them around the base paths either. The Tigers racked up a whopping 113 stolen bases and led the SEC in sac bunts and flies. Runners were getting over.

The offense capitalized on this production by bringing in 351 runs, ranked third in the SEC. Runners were getting in.

The defense’s numbers were the polar opposite. A SEC third-worst era of 3.92 was put up from the pitching staff. Accompanied with the SEC’s worst field percentage, Auburn struggled to hold opponents from crossing the plate.

Put that group of stats together, the Tigers only had a win percentage more than .500 when they scored seven runs or more, and allowed four runs or less.

Those who attended practice every day are the only ones who know the truth, but it seems as if fundamentals were not a priority for this baseball team.

Read more: The Auburn Plainsman - Time running out for Tigers baseball coach

♦ John Pawlowski Named Head Baseball Coach At Auburn (auburntigers.com, June 20, 2008)

Pawlowski posted a 338-192-1 record during his tenure at College of Charleston, including a 180-67 record from 2004-07, the most wins in school and Southern Conference history for a four-year span.

Under his direction, Pawloswki led the Cougars to three-consecutive NCAA Regional appearances from 2004-06, while winning Southern Conference regular season titles in 2004 and 2005. His 2004 squad set a then-school record with 47 wins and bettered that mark in 2005 with 48 victories. The 2004 conference title and NCAA appearance were both firsts in the program's history.
. . .
"Our goals are going to be more than just winning championships; winning the SEC championship and going to Omaha (site of the College World Series), which Auburn has been to four times. Our goals are going to be to recruit quality student-athletes, both on and off the field.

"Our teams are going to be blue-collared and hard-nosed. We are going to have tough kids that play hard until the final out. They are going to go to class and they are going to get an Auburn education, which is going to go far and beyond the playing field."

"One of the things that I like about playing in this conference is that when you suit up to play on a conference weekend, it's like suiting up to play the New York Yankees. You better bring your `A' game every weekend, you better be ready to play, you better be blue collar and you be ready to do the things you need to do to win. It is great competition. The SEC is in my mind the toughest conference in the country, and I have been around to several different conferences. There is not a weekend where you can't bring your `A' game."

♦ Was John Pawlowski the Right Choice? (auppl.blogspot.com, 5/10/2009)

The Recruiter/Developer It bears repeating, but this fact should never be overlooked by Auburn fans:

While an assistant at Clemson, Pawlowski's staff led the country in earned run average in 1996 with a staff that featured the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks in the MLB draft that year in Kris Benson and Billy Koch. In his five years at Clemson, the Tigers had 15 pitchers drafted, while the recruiting classes ranked in the top 10 nationally each year.

1996 would be CJP’s third year at Clemson. His third as recruiting coordinator and pitching coach. With players he was able to recruit, or was able to finally mold and coach to his skill level. 1996 is the first year I would start judging the talent that CJP was able to bring in. 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000. That’s the years you should look at and just see the talent that CJP was able to bring to Clemson. From 1996 to 2000; Clemson had 20 players drafted. 13 of whom were pitchers. He’s also responsible for one of the best drafted duos to be drafted:

Kris Benson and Billy Koch from Clemson University were selected first and fourth overall in the 1996 draft, marking the first time since 1978 and only the second time in history that two players from the same school were drafted in the top four selections. Benson - Baseball America's College Player of the Year and a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team - was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who made just their second number one pick ever, and Koch was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays.

It didn’t stop at Clemson either. In his 8 years at the College of Charleston, Pawlowski had 22 players drafted (13 Pitchers). Previously, CofC only had 3 players EVER drafted. 3 Players EVER to 22 over an 8 year era. It should also be noted that it wasn’t until 2003 (again, that would be CJP’s 3rd year at his school) that these players began to be drafted.
. . .

♦ 2009 Auburn Season Preview (collegebaseballdaily.com)

“I think we are going to have to be a team that will create and manufacture runs. We will not be able to just sit there and hit the ball out of the ballpark. As much as we would like that to be our style and our plan, this league is so tough and we are going to have to get guys on and move them over. The biggest thing offensively is we are going to have to understand what the role is. I tell guys all the time, our offense is based on leaving your ego at the bat rack, going to the plate and doing whatever you can to move guys up, move guys over and get guys in and we are going to have to be a very unselfish offensive club,” Pawlowski said.