Conversations with College Coaches: Penn State University- Abington
Dan Mooney, our Senior Director of College Recruiting, recently caught up with Head Baseball Coach Joe Pavlow from Penn State University- Abington. Abington plays in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) and in 2012 finished the year with a 24-20 record. Check out what Coach Pavlow looks for in a recruit, how he uses video to recruit players and what recruits can expect for fall practices.
1.How long have you been coaching? How long at Penn State Abington?
I have been coaching for 12 years. I have been at Penn State Abington since August 2008.
2. Who are some of your mentors or coaches that you look up to?
I learned a great deal from all of my high school coaches. Tony Sindoni, Bill Alvaro, and Paul Mauriello were all great men who were tremendous teachers. The further I get removed from high school the more I realize how many life lessons these gentlemen taught. As a coach I owe everything I know about being a motivator and showing players that you care about them as individuals to Rich Horan at Audubon High School. I didn't work with Rich very long, but it didn't take long to see how much Rich cared about his players, and how much that motivated them.
3. What is the first thing about your school and program that you’d want a recruit to know about?
I want recruits to know how close-knit our program is. Our players and coaches truly care for and respect one another. It really is a program built around solidarity. I couldn't imagine going to work and spending as much time with our players if we didn't have a positive environment.
4. What qualities do you look for in a prospect on the field? Off the field?
When looking at recruits we try and recruit athleticism for position players and projectability for pitchers. Off of the field we want to find players that are self-motivated hard workers.
5. How has video helped your recruiting?
It gives us the ability to filter out prospects that we might not be interested in. I think we do a good job of targeting recruits that will fit into our program when they get on campus.
6. Do you recruit from Junior Colleges?
Yes, I love the experience and maturity that Juco transfers bring to our program.
7. Can you break down your fall practice schedule? What will you try to accomplish?
We run Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays for our fall practice season. The weekdays include small hitting groups, individual defense and conditioning from 6AM-8AM and then more team oriented work from 2PM-5PM. Saturdays are usually reserved for inter-squads. This fall we are trying to prepare our players to a point where they feel confident in any situation that may present itself this spring.
8. Do you have a strength and conditioning coach?
Our pitching coach serves this role.
9. Anything planned for your facilities (upgrades, changes, etc.)?
Our field was completely renovated in 2011. Presently there are some minimal aesthetic changes in the works.
10. Is there anything you would like to add about your assistant coaches, recruits, parents, or program that we have not asked you about?
I believe my staff is excellent. We have guys who are all baseball lifers who do a great job communicating with our players as individuals. They find a way to connect and get through to each of our players.
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