Former Auburn Pitcher Brent Schoening Passes Away

The Mobile Press-Register, August 17, 2009

Former Auburn pitcher Brent Schoening passed away Sunday morning after a lengthy battle with leukemia.

Schoening, 31, was a three-year letterwinner at Auburn, earning All-Southeastern Conference and third-team All-American honors as a junior while helping lead the program to an NCAA Super Regional appearance that season.

In his three-year career, Schoening posted a 29-9 record with a 4.02 earned run average.

The Columbus, Ga., native is third all-time in school-history in strikeouts (327), fifth in victories (29), sixth in games started (52), and eighth in innings pitched (325).

"It is truly a sad day for me personally and for the Auburn baseball family with the loss of Brent," said former Auburn baseball coach Hal Baird. "While we were well aware of his recent struggles, never the less, it's a stunner to lose someone like Brent. The courage he demonstrated as player at Auburn was also relative the way he fought this battle. It's no coincidence that his three years at Auburn was arguably the best three-year period in the history of the program. Brent will be missed those that he touched and I'm very honored to have coached a person of his character."

As a junior in 1999, Schoening was named a Collegiate Baseball third-team All-American, after posting of the best single seasons by a pitcher in Auburn history. He was among the tops of the Southeastern Conference in nearly every statistical category, finishing tied for first league in wins (13), second in innings pitched (138.1), third in strikeouts (151) and fourth in earned run average (3.32).

Schoening's Auburn career resulted in the most successful three-year span in terms of wins in the program's history.

From 1997-99, Auburn won 142 games, reaching the College World Series in 1997, winning an SEC Tournament title in 1998 and advancing to NCAA Super Regionals in 1999.

Schoening was a fifth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 1999 and spent seven seasons in the minor leagues, concluding his career in 2005 with the Rochester Red Wings, the AAA affiliate of the Twins.

Born on April 7, 1978, in Baton Rouge, La., Schoening was a two-time Georgia 3A Player of the Year at Columbus High School, leading the school to a state title in 1996.

He is survived by his wife Lauren, parents Ed and Elizabeth Schoening and sisters, Julia and Jennifer.