new coach???

[AU64 10,122]

So where were all these "lottery funded scholarships" excuses in the mid-to-late '90s when we were a power under Baird and were making it to the CWS? Folks, talent isn't the basis of the problem here. JP has recruited well, and he has his best class coming in next yr. The guy's coaching simply isn't getting it done at this level. Stop with all the excuses.

If we aren't vastly improved next yr, he needs to go.

The lottery issue has not always existed...but I agree with your overall premise.....and the lottery issue mostly affects/benefits a few SEC schools (SC, UF, UGa)  but we ought to beat the Samfords and Troys of the world every time we play them and should be in the top 5 of the SEC about every year.  It's the fundamentals that drive me nuts....the errors, walks, baserunning, etc. 

[around4ever 4,139]

So where were all these "lottery funded scholarships" excuses in the mid-to-late '90s when we were a power under Baird and were making it to the CWS? Folks, talent isn't the basis of the problem here. JP has recruited well, and he has his best class coming in next yr. The guy's coaching simply isn't getting it done at this level. Stop with all the excuses.

If we aren't vastly improved next yr, he needs to go.

The lottery issue has not always existed...but I agree with your overall premise.....and the lottery issue mostly affects/benefits a few SEC schools (SC, UF, UGa)  but we ought to beat the Samfords and Troys of the world every time we play them and should be in the top 5 of the SEC about every year.   It's the fundamentals that drive me nuts....the errors, walks, baserunning, etc. 

I agree with the assessment that we should beat those other teams every time.  The lottery schollies are also used by LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas and Kentucky.  And it is not just baseball.  All partial scholarship sports use these for in state student athletes.  Auburn, UAT, MSU and Mississippi are at a disadvantage.  But, with that said, we have the talent to compete.  But the fundamentals of the game are just not being executed. 

[TigerPaw1 0]

Auburn was picked to finish 6th in the SEC West in the preseason.  With the lack of returning starters, I don't think anybody had Auburn in the top #25 preseason.  This is a hold serve type of year that if Auburn makes the SEC tournament and the NCAA, but loses early,  I will still be satisfied.  Next year the team should be stronger and will be in a better position to go on a deep run into the NCAA.  I don't think a coaching change will be helpful at this point. IMO.

All Auburn has to do is sneak into the SEC Tournament with a winning record and they will get into the NCAA Tournament.  I wouldn't be quick to give up on the team yet for 2012.

So was last year. Like its been said a few times it's not his recruiting that is being questioned its his coaching. A well coached baseball teams makes the routine plays every time, executes their offense the majority of the time, and doesn't make boneheaded plays either on defense or on the basepaths. When you watch this team play we struggle to field groundballs and if we do throw it accurately to first. We have been picked off or caught in bad position on the basepaths multiple times this season and rarely do we execute the hit runs and things like that. Overall that is the issue at least that I have with Coach P. Make the routine plays and make the other team earn each run. Instead every weekend we give up 3-5 unearned runs....

I don't think anyone has given up on the team (at least I haven't). But right now at the pace we are going we are not gonna meet any of those goals. We still have Arkansas and Florida left on the schedule and I don't see us getting a win in either of those series if we don't start playing better starting from the coaching staff down

[bwillaub 0]

I'm not calling for any coach's head at this point.....but.......I don't think we have gotten our $$$ worth with Coach Paw.  I see far too many fundamental errors taking place with this team.  I won't expound as I have brought them up in other posts.  I would give him one more season and if there isn't a big improvement in the way we play the game, he needs to go.

[Bro Johnny Mac 1,392]

Casey Dunn

[VA Tiger 0]

WHY would you want to bring in Casey Dunn?  He has done zip at Samford.  You wanna bring in a guy like that into this program?  And honestly see it get BETTER?

Please.  If we make a change, at least bring someone in here better than Coach P.  Dunn would be a poor, poor, poor rplacement.

:banghead:

[AU64 10,122]

Too early to be naming names...but I sure was disappointed that it was necessary for a "team meeting" to be held for the players to decide they needed to work harder and try and make the tournament.  Makes me wonder what kind of leadership the coaching staff is providing and why it took a three week slide for the message to get through.

The Tennessee series won't prove much since they are a horrible team but it's good that Alford and other team members realized that they are capable of better play.  They were not under pressure in the first two UTk games so will be more informative to watch the last two series against better teams and see if the mental errors and fundamental problems return.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Please.  Dunn would be a poor, poor, poor rplacement.

You know not of what you opine, my freind.

http://www.samfordsports.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/dunn_casey00.html

[AU64 10,122]

An excellent (IMO) analysis of the situation on Plainsman Park .  Check http://www.auppl.com/ 

[Bro Johnny Mac 1,392]

Please.  Dunn would be a poor, poor, poor rplacement.

You know not of what you opine, my freind.

http://www.samfordsports.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/dunn_casey00.html

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

Too early to be naming names...but I sure was disappointed that it was necessary for a "team meeting" to be held for the players to decide they needed to work harder and try and make the tournament.   Makes me wonder what kind of leadership the coaching staff is providing and why it took a three week slide for the message to get through.

The Tennessee series won't prove much since they are a horrible team but it's good that Alford and other team members realized that they are capable of better play.   They were not under pressure in the first two UTk games so will be more informative to watch the last two series against better teams and see if the mental errors and fundamental problems return.

The team meetings are routine....but this team did figure out a way to regroup when things were not going well, and there was a discussion about how to turn things around. I don't think the team was unaware of the message at all...but what they were trying was not working. 

[VA Tiger 0]

Sorry MAte.  I cannot get excited over one 37 win season and not even sniffing a championship at Division II Samford. 

He is an Auburn grad, and that is why you want him.  And I can understand that.  But if thta's the best he's done, it doesn't impress me one bit.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

He is an Auburn grad, and that is why you want him.

Another incorrect opinion.  I played for his dad (before I played for Nix and Baird).  If he is half the coach his dad was, he is destined for championships.  To be clear, I did not suggest Coach Pawlowski can not win a championship.

And don't look too far down your nose at little Samford, they play in the Southern Conference.  Division 1.

http://www.soconsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4000&ATCLID=177772

[aubgregg 0]

Enough new coach talk. CP needs more time. This is a young team that has had its ups and downs this year but according to the "experts" were supposed to finish near the bottom of the league. Losing WK really hurt and I agree as bad as we needed the wins, the sweep of the Vols was not that impressive. They are a bad team and after what happened in Knoxville last year I expected us to play great. As far as recruiting, why not go after the best. If they decide to go in the draft so be it. However, not all of them do and we have a close group of talented players that may just surprise some people and come play for us. We still have a rough stretch to go in the SEC, but CP deserves at least one more year.  That said, if we get swept again by the Updykes next year. Bye Bye Cp.  WDE!

[NCTiger 0]

Everyone here supports Auburn but this has become painful to watch. In basketball we were frustrated for a while, but given our old facility we knew that was a major challenge recruiting and signing top players. We made a commitment with the new facility and we made a solid hire IMO. We have struggled, but you can see Barbee is building the program.

As far as baseball goes we already had one of the best ballparks in college baseball. We also have some tradition showing a talented HC has a chance to consistently be in the CWS at Auburn and a shot to win it all. We have continued to sputter since Hal retired and that is why many including myself are frustrated. It seems like we are consistently waiting for "next year". Our baseball program has become what Vandy was in FB. And speaking of Vandy look what they have done in baseball, basketball and now they are improving in FB. They have obviously raised their expectations and are making moves to meet those expectations.

It is NOT Coach P's fault the HCs before him did not get the job done, but there just are not many signs that our program is going in the right direction. There is more HOPE than CONFIDENCE in our program returning to an SECC  & beyond level. In year 4 under Coach P I expected to see more. 

 

War Eagle !

[aubcali 433]

I do believe Coach P. gets another year, but it's not a guarantee especially if Auburn doesn't get into the SEC tournament.  Heck, PM is calling out the season as an underachieving disappointment. 

Hopefully, Auburn can pull it out against Arkansas and UF. 

[AU64 10,122]

Game two at Arky had a full display of AU's problems for the year.....walks, wild pitches, errors, runners caught off base or stealing not to mention the runners left on base, etc.   

I think CP was trying everything he knew to do in this game in hopes of winning it.....and about every move he made seemed to blow up in his face.  I expect he is  too.

[AuburnTigers1 0]

Game two at Arky had a full display of AU's problems for the year.....walks, wild pitches, errors, runners caught off base or stealing not to mention the runners left on base, etc.   

I think CP was trying everything he knew to do in this game in hopes of winning it.....and about every move he made seemed to blow up in his face.  I expect he is  too.

1 out and a runner on 3rd in a tie game late IS NOT the time to squeeze. Especially when you JUST tried a safety squeeze the pitch before. There are coaches in little league baseball that know better than that. Could have been his worst coaching move of the season and that says a lot.

[AU64 10,122]

Gotta agree AT 1.....CP is trying but has been taking some huge risks that have not paid off...and I almost laughed at the announcers last week showing him with his Ipad studying the statistics and odds.  Might be true but I can't count the times this season when he has tried things that had about a 15% chance of success.

CP hasn't given up....  IMO,  just not making very good decisions. 

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

Good Grief!

He is mixing things up because that's what he needs to do. He won't know if a particular strategy will work out until he tries it with the personnel he has in at the time but I like the fact that CJP is willing to take risks and be aggressive. I seem to remember some criticism earlier that CJP didn't turn the kids lose and that he wasn't aggressive enough.....

Shaking up the lineup is common in baseball when things get stale or when there's a key injury, and right now it seems to be a good move for Varnadore and a few other kids.

[AuburnTigers1 0]

Good Grief!

He is mixing things up because that's what he needs to do. He won't know if a particular strategy will work out until he tries it with the personnel he has in at the time but I like the fact that CJP is willing to take risks and be aggressive. I seem to remember some criticism earlier that CJP didn't turn the kids lose and that he wasn't aggressive enough.....

Shaking up the lineup is common in baseball when things get stale or when there's a key injury, and right now it seems to be a good move for Varnadore and a few other kids.

I don't mind him being aggressive. The fact is what he did in that situation was dumb. There's no other way to say it. Squeezing in that situation isn't being aggressive. It's being suicidal.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

Only because it didn't work out for him this time. If it had people would've called him gutsy.

It won't matter what CJP does or doesn't do. The objectivity has been lost.

[nightranger44 3]

Tigerbelle  once again you are right on the money....great win today and great passion CJP...once again Hoover bound  3 years straight!.....no onto the NCAA

[AuburnTigers1 0]

Tigerbelle  once again you are right on the money....great win today and great passion CJP...once again Hoover bound   3 years straight!.....no onto the NCAA

Wait a minute, is that...... no, no, it can't be...... He's you know....... "DONE"!!!!!! I kid I kid! Welcome back!

[Cat4AU 0]

Tigerbelle  once again you are right on the money....great win today and great passion CJP...once again Hoover bound   3 years straight!.....no onto the NCAA

Wait a minute, is that...... no, no, it can't be...... He's you know....... "DONE"!!!!!! I kid I kid! Welcome back!

But who was coaching after the 4th inning? It sure wasn't CJP!