AUBURN | Just when the starting pitching has started to come around, Auburn’s lineup has been hit by several key injuries.
That’s been the story for the Tigers’ season so far along with playing the top six teams in the SEC during the first six weekends and coming out of it with eight consecutive league losses and a 2-16 record.
“It’s a huge gap,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “Whenever we’ve pitched it pretty good, we haven’t hit. Whenever we’ve hit, we haven’t pitched. We can’t find each other, yet. At least at this stage.”
Thompson is hopeful for a turnaround this weekend at LSU. He’ll go with the same starters from last weekend that combined for 2.70 ERA at Mississippi State with Dylan Watts Friday, Tanner Bauman Saturday and Carson Myers Sunday.
“I thought we were competitive in all three of our starts in Starkville,” said Thompson. “I think there’s a place to make a jump and take off. This is amateur baseball and it happens. If we keep being more competitive like that consistently enough, we’ll have a chance to win more games.
“Hopefully, we’re starting to see some signs of growing.”
LSU, the defending national champions, has had its share of troubles this season as well, and comes into the series with a 5-13 conference record after taking 2-of-3 at Missouri last weekend.
While AU got better production out if its starters at MSU, injuries to Ike Irish, Bobby Peirce and Mason Maners limited the offense to a .163 batting average, two extra-base hits and five runs combined in three games.
Irish, who was trying to play through a hand injury, sprained his ankle sliding into first base at MSU Sunday. He missed Tuesday night’s 11-1 win over Florida A&M and is not expected to play this weekend.
“I don’t know if that’s one, two or three weeks,” said Thompson. “He’s in a walking boot and will be out for a period of time. We think it’s a sprained ankle at this point after taking X-rays.”
Bobby Peirce, who has not had an at-bat since injuring his hand against Kentucky April 13, could be limited to defense and pinch-running this weekend.
Mason Maners, who is also returning from a hand injury, could be back in the lineup this weekend after being out since April 12.
“Bobby’s BP at Starkville kinda deteriorated each day,” said Thompson. “He’ll probably play defense and as soon as that thing feels good enough to be at the plate, we’ll get him back out there. Maners is the most likely to help us this weekend.”
Auburn is currently in 14th place in the SEC, three games behind LSU in 13th and four games behind Ole Miss and Missouri, which are tied for the 12th and final spot in the SEC Tournament.
The Tigers’ remaining four series are against LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri and Alabama. So there is an opportunity to makeup ground starting this weekend.
“We’re not going to wait until next year,” said Thompson. “We’ve all invested and worked too hard for this program not to get back to competitive baseball.
“Our postseason is absolutely now. So dig in and fight here the rest of the way.”
First pitch Friday at Alex Box Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. Saturday’s game will be at 6 p.m. and Sunday’s at 1 p.m. All three games will be on SECN+/ESPN+.
