If you arrive at Plainsman Park early enough to see Auburn take infield or batting practice, you will notice a tall bald man wearing No. 35 swinging his fungo bat continuously or throwing pitches from behind the screen. He often goes unrecognized on a staff with Gabe Gross, a fan favorite in his playing days, and had Tim Hudson, the All-American in 1997 who went on to pitch 17 seasons in Major League Baseball.

Karl Nonemaker even flies under the radar in the Auburn baseball office sometimes.

"Yeah, I'd say," the coach said. "When somebody comes in wanting to talk to somebody in the office, I usually just get to keep doing whatever I'm doing."

But don't be fooled. Nonemaker is arguably the most critical assistant Butch Thompson and the Tigers have as he serves as recruiting coordinator for the program and, along with that, must figure out one of the biggest problems in college baseball: how to spread the scholarships out. Per NCAA rules, only 11.7 scholarships can be handed out each year, which can be spread out among 27 players at the most. While the rule could be changed in the future, that is the hand Nonemaker is currently dealt, and he has to make tough decisions to figure out how to spend that money wisely.

"We're in the SEC, and we're at a great place like Auburn that a lot of people are attracted to," he said. "So the first aspect for that is identifying and attracting good players."

That, of course, is just one of many steps Nonemaker must make each offseason. With the MLB Draft now coming after the season and the status of players going pro or coming back for another season up in the air until just before school starts. Add in incoming players who are also draft-eligible, and his job isn't one for the lighthearted.

"Trying to figure out who is going to be at school takes a lot of forecasting, and it's definitely an inexact science," Nonemaker said.

Take this offseason, for instance. While Blake Burkhalter, Sonny DiChiara and Carson Skipper were all but gone after the season-ending loss to Arkansas, there was still the matter of Trace Bright, Mason Barnett and others that could have returned to the Plains for another year or go pro. With that, Nonemaker can't say a certain amount of money and scholarships is open until they decide. All eight Tigers selected turned in their navy and orange for new uniforms, and with that, space in the budget.

While dealing with that, Nonemaker is also on the road recruiting, showcasing to the top players in the Southeast and around the country why Auburn is the best place for them to play their collegiate baseball. Add in the transfer portal (Auburn signed two players); his days are full of visits and phone calls.

But what is his sales pitch to these student-athletes? Investment.

"These guys have a lot of talent, but one of the things that these guys don't have yet is experience in the SEC, right?" Nonemaker said. "So it's going to be our responsibility to invest in them because they do have the talent, and they are going to be amazing players. But we have to invest in them to help them get experience because that's the one thing they don't have."

The coach also points to what Auburn players have done in the past to raise their stock in MLB scouts' eyes, mentioning that some current players got calls from teams but have decided to come back for another season.

"This year, we had a few guys in Bobby Peirce, Nate Larue, and Kason Howell," Nonemaker said. "There are multiple guys on the team that are getting phone calls that are choosing to come back for another year … And because they value Auburn and they have a great experience, and know that they can still be on the track of accomplishing their baseball goals."

It's all just another day at the office for the Vanderbilt graduate. There's a lot of confusion at times, waiting on players to decide while also trying to find the next crop of recruits that can impact the program and then fulfill their dreams of playing professionally. It's not easy, and, as Thompson points out, it takes some intellect to sort it all out, so the roster is at maximum potential.

"At the end of the day, Karl's a pretty smart dude," the head coach said.