WKU Baseball: Pawlowski Should Go If Toppers Miss C-USA Tourney

Here we are, once again, Topper fans. WKU Baseball (18–20–1, 9–8–1 C-USA) is once again sitting looking fine heading into the last week of April in conference play. They’re not in perfect position. In fact, it’s extremely fragile, but if the Tops would simply win half of their games the rest of the season, it’s difficult to see how they don’t make the Conference USA field of eight at season’s end.

While WKU baseball does not have eye-popping, mind-blowing tradition, Western is not a slouch program, either. However, Western Kentucky baseball has not made the conference tournament since 2014, when the Tops were still in the Sun Belt. The Diamond Tops are a decade removed from nearly making a super regional. They have won two conference tournament games since, the last of which was after WKU was mathematically eliminated in the old Sun Belt pool play setup.

That’s utter horse manure.

Now, let’s be fair. Not all of that is Pawlowski’s fault. Chris Finwood did well in the first two seasons of this most recent decade of darkness, compiling a 68–47 record before heading to Old Dominion, who ironically ended up in Conference USA with WKU. Matt Myers took over, slowly declining the program into a cellar dweller and finishing 2015 at 24–28 in WKU’s first foray into Conference USA. Myers’ overall record ended up south of even at 106–118 in his four years on The Hill.

In comes John Pawlowski, a truly home run hire, supposedly. According to his WKU Sports bio, he had been to a College World Series with College of Charleston, coached at Auburn, brought 80+ kids to the big leagues (51 of which were pitchers). With 566 wins under his belt heading into the 2019 season, surely this is a coach that knows what he’s doing, right?

Pawlowski’s Run at WKU

• Hired June 4, 2015, Pawlowski’s impressive resume stood at 505 all-time victories and 22 years overall in college coaching.
• Late January 2016: Pawlowski arrested for DUI; charges later dismissed
• WKU baseball starts 2016 season 7–1; finishes 24–30 and misses C-USA Tournament
• John Pawlowski’s record from 2016–18 at WKU: 61–100 (zero finishes in C-USA top eight)
• No overall record better than six games under .500; no conference record than 11–18

2019 Up to the Moment:

• Pawlowski’s Toppers started out hot once again, sweeping NKU, starting 6–2 overall before losing seven in a row to drop to 6–9. In three of four years, Pawlowski’s Topper squads have started out 5–1 or better.
• In conference play, WKU began great, winning or tying in eight of the first nine. Since, WKU has won two of nine games to stand currently at 9–8–1.
• Currently in fourth place in Conference USA, WKU heads to UTSA over the weekend with a chance to solidify fourth place or potentially drop all the way to tenth, which would put the Tops in serious danger of missing the C-USA Tournament once again.
• On a positive note, WKU’s offense ranks middle of the pack in almost everything.
• WKU’s pitching staff ranks dead last in ERA: 6.21. The next closest is Charlotte, which allows under six earned runs per game.
• Overall, WKU’s pitching is not higher than fourth in any significant pitching category and is no better than tenth in most everything related to pitching or defense.

Why Is This Not a Bigger Deal to Johnny Hilltopper?

There’s my biggest question: Why is this not the topic right now? Western Kentucky is a proud university, and true Topper fans are very proud about every sport. They may not show up consistently for the peripheral sports, like volleyball, women’s basketball, baseball and softball and golf, but they care.

John Pawlowski should be held to the same standard of excellence that Mike Sanford and Ray Harper were held to. He should face similar scrutiny to Rick Stansbury and Greg Collins currently receive. Sure, his first couple of years were taking over a program pretty much over its head in C-USA in its first two years. That was an excuse that should have expired two years ago.

Let’s get to the bottom line: Since WKU joined Conference USA, of the 12 baseball members, WKU is the only program not to make the tournament at least once, and every member but Marshall, MTSU and WKU has made it at least twice. To make it worse, both Marshall and Middle are on pace to make it this season, so if WKU missed again, this statistic will only get worse.

It’s time to quit making excuses. WKU has been awful under his leadership. Period.

Sure, he had massive departures his first two years. Last year, he did not. This year is his fourth season. He has had the opportunity to have every one of his original freshmen to make it to at least their redshirt junior years. It’s time for John Pawlowski to make the Conference USA Tournament.

Conference USA is in a down year this year. No team has less than 12 losses overall, and only three teams have won more than 60 percent of their games. Why is this year not the year for WKU to make the Conference USA tournament for the first time?

Here’s what frustrates me the most about the Pawlowski era: He is a pitching guru, yet his pitching staffs have been historically awful. In his quarter century of coaching, he has had 80+ guys go to the pros, more than 50 being pitchers.

How many overall in four years have been drafted in a sport that drafts for 40 rounds? Six. How many pitchers? Two. How many total were recruited by John Pawlowski? One.

It’s time to first, support the Tops and help them get to C-USA Tournament. The next home series is against Rice, a team that, regardless of the Topper series at UTSA, will be within a series sweep of standing behind the Tops in the conference standings. The Tops are in fourth, folks. Show up, cat call and boo the umpires’ awful calls.

However, it is also time to start caring about the shape of the WKU baseball program. The losing needs to stop, and it needs to start by making the Conference USA Tournament.

Is that so much to ask?

If it doesn’t happen, Pawlowski needs to go, and Todd Stewart needs to find someone else to take over a Topper program a pitching staff away from a conference contender.