Auburn Tigers baseball
Encyclopedia
The Auburn Tigers baseball team represents Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...

 in NCAA Division I college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...

.
Along with most other Auburn athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Western division of the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...

. The Tigers play their home games on campus at Plainsman Park
Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park
Samford Stadium – Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park is the college baseball venue for the Auburn University Tigers. As of 2006, its seating capacity is 4,096. In 2003, Baseball America declared the facility the best college baseball venue in the country. The park's signature is its high left field...

, and they are currently coached by John Pawlowski
John Pawlowski
John Pawlowski is the head coach of the Auburn Tigers baseball team. He was hired in June 2008 and will coach his first season at Auburn in 2009. Pawlowski was previously the head coach at the College of Charleston. In his first season with the Auburn Tigers, the tigers finished with a 31-25...

.

History

Auburn Baseball has won six SEC championships, three SEC Tournament championships, appeared in 18 NCAA Regionals and reached the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...

 (CWS) four times.

The Post Baird Era

Following the 2000 season, Hal Baird retired as a head coach. After 16 years at head of the Auburn baseball program, Baird posted an impressive 634–328–0 overall record.

Steve Renfroe Tenure

On September 1, 1999 Steve Renfroe was named head baseball coach at Auburn University, as the successor to Hal Baird following the 2000 season. Renfroe was long time assistant coach at Auburn before being named head coach, having begun his coaching career at Auburn in 1981 as an assistant and remaining in that position until 1995 when he was named assistant head coach.

On June 7, 2004 Renfroe was relieved of his duties as head baseball coach at Auburn. He posted an overall mark of 145–92, including a 60–60 SEC record, during his tenure. Each of Renfroe's first three Auburn squads advanced to the NCAA Baseball Tournaments, with stops in Tallahassee, FL, in 2001, Tuscaloosa, AL, in 2002, and hosting a 2003 Regional in Auburn.

Tom Slater Tenure

On June 29, 2004 Tom Slater was named as Steve Renfroe's replacement. After only having 2 coaches in 38 years, Auburn was now on the second coach within a five year period. Slater was previously an assistant at Auburn during the 1990s before taking a head coaching job at his alma mater Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...

 following the 2000 season. After the 2003 season, Slater left VMI to take an assistant job at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

 where he helped lead the Gators to their first ever Super Regional appearance.

The John Pawlowski Era

On June 20, 2008 John Pawlowski was introduced as the 16th Head Coach of the Auburn Tigers baseball program. Pawlowski was previously the head coach at the College of Charleston
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston is a public, sea-grant and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States...

. He took over that program in 2000, and posted a 338–192–1 record during his tenure. Under his direction, the Cougars made three straight NCAA post-season appearances, including their first ever appearance in 2004. He was named the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...

 coach of the year in 2004, 2005, and 2007, and coached 17 All-Americans during his tenure.

He takes over a very young baseball team that includes two freshman all-American selections, Hunter Morris and Brian Fletcher
Brian Fletcher
Brian Fletcher is an English Jockey notable for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 and 1974 and for second place in 1975. He first won the Grand National at the age of 19, in 1968 riding Red Alligator. He retired in 1976 with head injury...

.

Plainsman Park

Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park
Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park
Samford Stadium – Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park is the college baseball venue for the Auburn University Tigers. As of 2006, its seating capacity is 4,096. In 2003, Baseball America declared the facility the best college baseball venue in the country. The park's signature is its high left field...

is a baseball stadium located in Auburn, Alabama
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...

. It is the home field for the Auburn Tigers baseball team. Commonly known as "Plainsman Park", it is widely considered one of the finest facilities in college baseball and has a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...

 of 4,096 not including lawn areas.

The field was named in 1997 to honor two former Auburn players, Billy
Billy Hitchcock
William Clyde Hitchcock was an American infielder, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball. He also served as president of the class AA Southern League from 1971-80...

 and Jimmy Hitchcock
Jimmy Hitchcock
James Franklin Hitchcock Jr. was an American football player and Major League baseball player in the Depression Era...

. The Hitchcock brothers were popular athletes in the 1930s. Jimmy was Auburn's first All-American in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 and baseball, and later coached the Tigers during the 1940s. Billy helped Auburn make its first bowl appearance in football, as well as, helping the Tigers claim their first SEC baseball title in 1937. He later became a manager in the MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

.

In 2003, the stadium was renamed Samford Stadium-Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park after W. James "Jimmy" Samford passed. Samford was a graduate of Auburn, a former Board of Trustee member, and a known for pushing the renovations of the stadium that began in 1996.

Head coaches

  • Records are through the 2010 Season
    cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" class="wikitable sortable"> Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
    1933 Sam McAllister 1 5–4–0 .556
    1934 Herschel Bobo 1
    1934–1939 Del Morgan 6
    1940 Porter Grant 1 4–5–0 .444
    1941–1942 Jimmy Hitchcock
    Jimmy Hitchcock
    James Franklin Hitchcock Jr. was an American football player and Major League baseball player in the Depression Era...

    2
    1943; 1946 Bob Evans 2
    1947–1948 Danny Doyle 2
    1949–1950 Johnny Williamson 2 21–23–0 .477
    1951–1957 Dick McGowen 7 90–76–2 .548
    1958 Joe Connally 1 17–8–0 .680
    1959–1962 Erk Russell
    Erk Russell
    Erskine "Erk" Russell was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach in the United States. He was also the defensive coordinator for the University of Georgia Bulldogs for seventeen years and head football coach of the Georgia Southern Eagles...

    4 59–37–1 .620
    1963–1984 Paul Nix 22 515–376–0 .578
    1985–2000 Hal Baird
    Hal Baird
    Hal Baird is a retired college baseball coach. From 1980-1984, Baird coached at East Carolina University. In 1985 he became the head coach at Auburn University, where he remained until 2000. While at Auburn, he became the schools winningest head coach in history, winning a total of 634 games and...

    16 634–328–0 .659
    2001–2004 Steve Renfroe 4 145–92–0 .612
    2005–2008 Tom Slater 4 115–228–0 .504
    2009 – present John Pawlowski
    John Pawlowski
    John Pawlowski is the head coach of the Auburn Tigers baseball team. He was hired in June 2008 and will coach his first season at Auburn in 2009. Pawlowski was previously the head coach at the College of Charleston. In his first season with the Auburn Tigers, the tigers finished with a 31-25...

    2 74–46 .617
    Totals 16 coaches

Year-by-Year Results

*Through the end of the 2008 season.

*Final Rankings are from Collegiate Baseball Division I Final Polls (1959–2006)

Auburn Tigers in the NCAA Tournament

  • The NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
    NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
    The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....

     started in 1947.
  • The format of the tournament has changed through the years.


{| border="0" width="100%"
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#03244d" width="10%"| Year
!bgcolor="#03244d" width="10%"| Record
!bgcolor="#03244d" width="10%"| Pct
!bgcolor="#03244d" width="50%"| Notes
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament from 1947 to 1962.

|- align="center"
| 1963
1963 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1963 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held in 1963. 23 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


|
|
|
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament from 1964 to 1966.

|- align="center"
| 1967
|
|
| College World Series
1967 College World Series
The 1967 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 12 to June 18. The twenty-first tournament's champion was Arizona State University, coached by Bobby Winkles...

 (4th place)
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament from 1968 to 1975.

|- align="center"
| 1976
1976 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held in 1976 at various locations across the United States. 34 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


| 3–2
| .600
| Won the South Regional in Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...

; College World Series
1976 College World Series
The 1976 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 11 to June 19. The thirtieth tournament's champion was the University of Arizona, coached by Jerry Kindall...

 (8th place)
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament in 1977.

|- align="center"
| 1978
|
|
|
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament from 1979 to 1986.

|- align="center"
| 1987
|
|
|
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament in 1988.

|- align="center"
| 1989
|
|
|
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament from 1990 to 1992.

|- align="center"
| 1993
|
|
|
|- align="center"
| 1994
1994 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held in 1994. 48 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


|
|
| College World Series
1994 College World Series
The 1994 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 3 to June 11. The forty-eighth tournament's champion was the University of Oklahoma, coached by Larry Cochell...

 (8th place)
|- align="center"
| 1995
|
|
|
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament in 1996.

|- align="center"
| 1997
1997 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held in 1997. Forty-eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


|
|
| College World Series
1997 College World Series
The 1997 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from May 30 to June 7. The fifty-first tournament's champion was Louisiana State University, coached by Skip Bertman...

 (6th place)
|- align="center"
| 1998
1998 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 21 through June 6, 1998. Forty-eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


|
|
|
|- align="center"
| 1999
1999 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1999 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 28 through June 19, 1999. 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


| 3–3
| .500
| Won the Auburn Regional; Lost to Florida St. in the Tallahassee Super Regional.
|- align="center"
| 2000
2000 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 2000 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 26 through June 17, 2000. 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament. The tournament culminates with 8...


| 1–2
| .333
| Eliminated by Stetson
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...

 in the Atlanta Regional.
|- align="center"
| 2001
2001 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 25th through June 16th, 2001. 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament. The tournament culminated with 8...


| 2–2
| .500
| Eliminated by Florida St. in the Tallahassee Regional final.
|- align="center"
| 2002
2002 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 31 through June 22, 2002. 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


| 0–2
| .000
| Lost to Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...

 and Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....

 in the Tuscaloosa Regional.
|- align="center"
| 2003
2003 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 30 through June 23, . 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


| 2–2
| .500
| Eliminated by Ohio St.
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

 in the Auburn Regional final.
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament in 2004.

|- align="center"
| 2005
2005 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was held from May 30th through June 26th, . 64 NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in the NCAA Tournament...


| 2–2
| .500
| Eliminated by Florida St. in the Tallahassee Regional final.
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament from 2006 to 2009.

|- align="center"
| 2010
2010 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 2010 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament began on Friday, June 4, 2010 as part of the 2010 NCAA Division I baseball season. The 64 team double elimination tournament concluded with the 2010 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.-National seeds:...


| 3–2
| .600
| Eliminated by Clemson in the Auburn Regional final.
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" |
Auburn did not make the tournament in 2011.

|- align="center"
| bgcolor="#dd550c"|
TOTALS

| bgcolor="#dd550c"|

| bgcolor="#dd550c"|

| bgcolor="#dd550c"|

|}

Player Awards

{| border="0" width="100%"
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
! style="background: #03244d; color:#dd550c; width:15%"|Player
! style="background: #03244d; color:#dd550c; width:10%"|Position
! style="background: #03244d; color:#dd550c; width:10%"|Years at AU
! style="background: #03244d; color:#dd550c; width:45%"|Post Season Awards
|- align="center"
| Tom Moore
| Third Base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...


|
| 1962 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Q.V. Lowe
| Pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...


|
| 1967 First Team All-America; 1967 CWS All-Tournament Team
|- align="center"
| Gregg Olson
Gregg Olson
Greggory Olson is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played with the Baltimore Orioles , Atlanta Braves , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Royals , Detroit Tigers , Houston Astros , Minnesota Twins , Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers...


| Pitcher
| 1986–1988
| 1987 and 1988 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas (AL baseball player)
Frank Edward Thomas, Jr. , nicknamed "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman....


| First Base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...


| 1987–1989
| 1989 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| John Powell
John Powell
John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with...


| Pitcher
|
| 1993 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Jay Waggoner
| First Base
|
| 1994 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Mark Bellhorn
Mark Bellhorn
Mark Christian Bellhorn is a Major League Baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed. He stands 6-1 and weighs 205 lbs.-Personal life:...


| Shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...


|
| 1995 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Ryan Halla
| Pitcher
|
| 1995 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Tim Hudson
Tim Hudson
Timothy Adam Hudson is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Atlanta Braves. Hudson began his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and played his last two years of college eligibility at Auburn University...


| Pitcher
| 1996–1997
| 1997 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Todd Faulkner
| First Base
|
| 2000 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Gabe Gross
Gabe Gross
Gabriel Jordan "Gabe" Gross is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.His father, Lee Gross, was center for the Auburn Tigers and in the NFL...


| Outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...


|
| 2000 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Steve Register
| Pitcher
|
| 2003 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| colspan="4" | Source:
| 2010 First Team All-America
|- align="center"
| Hunter Morris
| First Base
| 2007–2010
| 2010 First Team All-America
|}
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