Hall of Fame
Dick Pawlow, 2004 - Recognized as the winningest baseball coach in Western Illinois University history, Pawlow coached six All-Americans, 20 professional players and established numerous records before retiring from his 29-year career with a 547-558 record at the helm of the Leathernecks from 1970-98. Pawlow recorded his 500th win with the Leathernecks on April 23, 1995 in a 2-1 victory over Valparaiso, and earned his 600th collegiate win on April 5, 1998 in a 5-0 victory over Oral Roberts. His 608 wins, part of a 608-599 career record that spans 33 years in collegiate baseball, rank among the top 100 NCAA Division I coaches.Â
Pawlow’s 1974 Leatherneck squad set 22 school records, including most wins in a season (31), and finished second in the NCAA District IV Playoffs, one win away from the College World Series. In 1978, Pawlow’s team established the program's longest winning streak, capturing its final 13 games, and earned a runner-up finish in the NCAA District IV Championship, the district in which Pawlow was named Coach of the Year. His 1984 team finished second on the school’s all-time win-loss percentage list with a .778 winning percentage and a 28-8 record, winning the Mid-Con title and earning another runner-up finish in the NCAA District IV Championship.Â
Pawlow has served on numerous baseball committees for the American Baseball Coaches Association and has written a book entitled Action Baseball, which is used as an instruction manual by various coaches and instructors. One of Pawlow’s most notable alumni is former Major League pitcher Rick Reuschel.Â
An East St. Louis, Ill., native, Pawlow was a two-year letterwinner in baseball at the University of Illinois and signed a professional contract with the San Francisco Giants organization in 1958. He played seven seasons, reaching AAA, before retiring and joining the collegiate coaching ranks.
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