Another top 10 battle in Lexington

AUBURN | There are no weekends off in a league with as many as nine top 25 teams.

No. 6 Auburn plays its second-straight top 10 team this weekend as it travels to No. 8 Kentucky. The Tigers are off to a 19-3 start and are 2-1 in the SEC after opening conference play with a series win over Texas A&M.

“I know they’ll play a very intense type deal and they’ll be in their park,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “We’ll have to bring a toboggan and a jacket. It’s one of those where it’s important to both ball clubs. That’s what’s great about this league, every one of these series means so much right now.”

The Wildcats have built their team to excel in Cliff Hagan Stadium, which is just 310 feet down the right field line, by loading their lineup with left-handed power hitters. UK leads the SEC in runs (190), doubles (55) and slugging percentage (.571), and rank second in home runs (40).

Senior catcher Troy Squires is hitting .368, leads UK with 10 home runs and is second on the team with 27 RBI. Sophomore designated hitter T.J. Collett is hitting .341 with nine home runs and a team-high 30 RBI, and junior first baseman Kole Cottam is hitting .325 with nine home runs and 24 RBI.

Kentucky, which was swept at Arkansas last weekend, is 15-6 overall and 0-3 in the SEC.

“I saw they posted (20) runs last night (at Xavier) so it looks like their angry has already begun,” Thompson said.

The UK pitching staff has struggled, however, ranking last in the SEC with a 5.21 ERA, 107 earned runs allowed and 24 home runs allowed. The Wildcats, which have just one save, will be without Saturday starter Zack Thompson for a second-straight weekend with a flexor strain.

The UK staff is anchored by 2017 SEC Pitcher of the Year Sean Hjelle, who will square off against Auburn All-American Casey Mize Friday night.

" I’m looking forward to seeing them both compete at this level," Thompson said. "Whoever takes their competition level to another level Friday night is somebody that will lead their team to a win to start a critical series."

With relief pitchers Andrew Mitchell (sore arm) and Cody Greenhill (mono) out for a second-straight week, Auburn will be TBA on Sunday’s starter in case Tanner Burns is needed in a relief role Friday or Saturday.

With a forecasted high of 36 and possible snow or sleet on Saturday in Lexington, Thompson also has to prepare for the possibility of playing two seven-inning games on Sunday.

“The weather forecast for Saturday is terrible,” he said.

Friday's game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT, Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at noon. All three games will be on SECN+ and WatchESPN, and Saturday’s game will also be on SEC Network.