From their childhood days of being coached by their father to their transfer process and adapting to their new roles on Rowan’s softball team, the Pawlowski twins have found a home on the Profs.
The twin sisters, Abby Pawlowski and Sam Pawlowski, started playing softball at different points in their lives, with Abby starting first at five years old and Sam starting two years later.
“I started at seven years old, and it wasn’t anything I was really looking too much into,” Sam said. “They [my family] asked me if I wanted to try playing with her that year and I was like ‘sure why not.’ I didn’t think I was going to stick with it, but I just fell in love with the game.”
The twins have been playing beside each other from a young age. From travel softball to high school softball at Monroe Township High School, the chemistry between the two middle infielders has only grown throughout the years.
Sam noted the importance of communication between second base and shortstop, but as twins they feel as if they are able to connect on a different level.
“We would play next to each other at second and short [shortstop], we can do things without actually saying it and know what the other person was going to do,” Sam said. “We work together really well and created a bond on the field that made it fun to play together.”
Abby pointed to a specific instance in which their sibling instincts came in handy.
“One time I made a diving play a short and I just flipped it to her without even looking because I knew she would be there, we don’t even need to communicate, we know we’re always going to be there,” Abby said.
Abby was named to both the GMC (Greater Middlesex County) All-Red Division team and the GMC All-County Team, while Sam was named to the honor roll every semester as well as the principal’s list during their time in high school. The two excelled in the classroom as well as on the field.
The twins spent the fall semester of their freshman year at Division I Saint Peter’s University, but after realizing they were both unhappy they decided the best fit was for them to transfer. Although Abby earned a starting role and would have been a big factor on the Peacocks, she decided to transfer as well.
“We took a tour on campus and it took a little more convincing for me to come here because I did sacrifice a lot to be here having a starting role at our old school, but I am so happy with the decision I made,” Abby said. “I knew my sister wasn’t happy and I slowly started to not be happy either.”
Sam had her mind made up about joining the brown and gold, and did not need much convincing to join Head Coach Kim Wilson’s squad.
“I’m very happy with it [decision to come to Rowan],” Sam said. “We happened to both go to the same place, and both happened to not be happy there. She was more up in the air and I decided I wanted to leave earlier than she did, she kind of followed along and realized because I decided to make the move. I think it’s the best place for me out of everywhere I’ve visited.”
Sam knew she wanted to settle in Glassboro without visiting the campus, but a tour of the school and a visit with Coach Wilson helped convince Abby that Rowan was the right fit.
“Coach [Wilson] made me feel like this is a place where I am wanted and loved and I do feel that way,” Abby said. “Coach [Wilson] was a big factor in the reason why I came to Rowan.”
The two have embraced their new roles on the team in a positive manner and are quickly finding themselves as vital members of the No. 15 ranked team in Division III softball, even as freshmen.
Abby has become the starting center fielder and consistently bats second for the Profs. She is hitting .309 on the season with 21 hits, three doubles and nine RBIs, including a 4-5 performance during the Profs 6-3 win over William Paterson. Although she played shortstop throughout her career, she understands the role she will have to play in order to see the field.
“She [Coach Wilson] wasn’t looking for a shortstop but she found a way where I could play,” Abby said. “I was in left field and now I am in center field and I enjoy it. I get to see the whole field from that view. I’ve always enjoyed shagging the fly balls and being in the outfield but I’m glad Coach found a way where I can play.”
Sam has played in 18 out of 22 games this season, where she is oftentimes sought after in pinch running situations. She has scored six runs this season and made two pinch running appearances during the doubleheader sweep of the Pioneers.
Sam described her mentality when she steps onto the field.
“I go out there like, ‘this is my job, so I’m going to do it well.’ I have a lot of confidence when I go out there because I’m prepared for it,” Sam said. “And have fun with the opportunities I get and do whatever I can.”
The two do most things together on a daily basis, from eating together and driving together to supporting each other academically and, of course, sharing the field with one another.
“It’s good to have a family member in the dugout because nobody else has that,” Abby said. “She is always there for me to talk about my swing and break it down, but also to talk to me about everything else.”
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