AUBURN | With limited space on the roster, Auburn signed a smaller class in 2025. But it still had plenty of star power including three players ranked by Perfect Game in the top 100 nationally.

“We signed some really good players, some guys that were coveted around the country,” said AU assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Karl Nonemaker.

“Auburn is a special brand and we can still go to California and get one of the best 25 players in the country in Ethin Bingaman and up to Virginia where Clayton Armah is from or up to Ohio where Taylor Belza is from. Those are three guys that are thought of as really top players in America.”

The Tigers signed nine players last week led by Bingaman, who will have an opportunity to be a two-way player as a right-handed pitcher and infielder.

Bingaman was 4-4 as a junior at Redlands High with a 1.87 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 52.1 innings. He also batted .506 with nine doubles, seven home runs and 29 RBI.

He is ranked the nation’s No. 22 prospect by Perfect Game.

“He’s been a really good hitter,” said Nonemaker. “He’s kind of in the mold of a Christian Chatterton-type pitcher. Six-foot righty, good carry on his fastball, good breaking ball. And it seems like every tournament he’s hitting in the three-hole, four-hole for one of the best teams.”

The 6-foot-4 Armah, a talented right-handed pitcher, is ranked No. 97 and Belza, a power-hitting catcher, No. 100. Both will have an opportunity to contribute early in their careers.

“Armah has really great character and is really competitive,” said Nonemaker. “He’s one of those tall, beautiful, projectable, athletic bodies. He’s at a really good high school program and has been in big games and played high-level competition in the summer. I like everything about him.

“Belza is a left-handed hitting catcher. He’s got enough bat kinda like Ike does, where if he’s not catching, he can probably help you if he’s in the outfield. Versatile. Thinking about that roster, you’ve always got to make sure you’ve got enough catchers and anytime they can do something else, that’s great too.”

The remaining six signees are from the state of Alabama led by outfielder Wade Shelley from Headland and shortstop Fleming Hall from Trinity. Hall batted .375 as a junior with 10 doubles, five home runs and 31 RBI.

Two more big lineup additions include infielder Caiden Combs from Gardendale, who batted .520 as a junior with 13 doubles, seven home runs and 54 RBI, and infielder Mason McCraine from Glenwood, who batted .534 as a junior with 24 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 45 RBI.

McCraine was also 7-1 on the mound with 1.49 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 54.0 innings, giving AU a second potential two-way player.

Auburn added two more talented arms to go along with Armah in right-hander LJ Cormier from Sipsey Valley and right-hander Brady Wilson from Heritage Christian in Decatur. Cormier is the son of former Alabama and MLB pitcher Lance Cormier.

With Auburn’s entire 2024 class enrolling this fall and rosters expected to reduce from 40 to 34 in the next year or two, AU had limited spots available in its ’25 class.

The class is ranked 32nd nationally by Perfect Game, but all but one of the teams above the Tigers have 10 or more signees.

“There’s some bat speed and there’s some big, athletic pitchers,” said Nonemaker. “We’re rooting for everyone of them to have a great senior season, develop and be ready to come in and help. You’re not going to have developmental guys anymore.”