Tomasiewicz enters his first year as North Park’s pitching coach after a successful stint at NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State University.
He made an immediate impact as Southwest’s pitching coach in 2010. The Mustang pitching staff amassed a 4.69 earned run average, the program’s lowest since 1999, and was ranked 52nd in the country at the Division II level. SMSU was also 34th nationally in walks per nine innings, and walked the fewest batters in program history since 1997. Tomasiewicz also was responsible for developing Mustang pitcher Adam Schrader, a 39th round of the MLB draft by the San Diego Padres. He was heavily involved in the day to day operations of SMSU’s program, including major responsibilities in player development, evaluating, and recruiting.
A native of Sleepy Hollow, Ill. and a graduate of Dundee-Crown High School, Tomasiewicz, was a four-year standout pitcher for perennial Division III contender Wisconsin-Whitewater. From 2002-05 he was a contributor on the Warhawk staff, capping his playing career off in a major way for the 2005 NCAA Division III National Championship UW- Whitewater team.
During his senior season in 2005, Tomasiewicz finished with an astounding 15-1 record in 108 innings pitched, notching 101 strikeouts. For his efforts he earned Rawlings/ABCA All-America honors (second team). His first Rawlings/ABCA All America nod came in 2003 on the strength of a 10-0 record (third team). He finished his four-year career with a record of 35-5, setting school and WIAC records for victories in a career, and logging 232 strikeouts in 253 innings.
Following his collegiate career, Tomasiewicz was selected in the 26th round of the 2005 MLB draft by the New York Mets. He played three-plus seasons in the team's minor league system, peaking at the “AA” level. He recorded a 17-8 record and a 4.04 ERA in 132 career games, with 26 career saves. In 2007, Tomasiewicz finished the year with a 6-2 record and a career high 20 saves. He finished his professional career in 2008 playing for Fargo-Moorhead and Gary of the independent Northern League.
"Kevin fits the mold of what our players are accustomed to. That was also of particular importance. They’ve come to expect professional preparation, both physical and mental, at a high level. He’s a winner, plain and simple. He knows what it takes to make a statement at the national level and that’s what our program has as a goal every year. He’ll be able to pick up where an extremely loyal and capable assistant left off, and he’ll have no problem putting his own mark on our program,” notes Johnson.
.jpg)
