AUBURN | Baseball is back on the Plains.
Auburn held its first full-squad practice Friday evening, which concluded with a four-inning scrimmage at Plainsman Park. The Tigers have three weeks before the season opener.
“We wanted to get under the lights tonight, Day 1. We want to come back at high noon with the sun right in center and above us tomorrow,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “We just got to start checking boxes on what we expect on how we go about our business. My favorite inning offensively tonight, we didn't score a run. But you got a full count with Judd Ward at the plate, a returner, and he works his way on with a walk. We wind up getting the bases loaded with two outs.
“Just things like that, passing it down, how we're supposed to play the game -- I was ecstatic about meeting those expectations tonight. We just have to keep cleaning our game up, you know, in these three weeks that we have before the season starts. But we exceeded expectations because of how we handled our business, played together and focused in on these cooler temperatures.”
Auburn returns six position players and nine pitchers from last year’s team that advanced to a Super Regional for the first time since 1999 including 2018 Freshmen All-Americans Steven Williams, Edouard Julien, Tanner Burns and Cody Greenhill.
Other key players returning include shortstop Will Holland, first baseman Conor Davis and right-handed pitcher Davis Daniel.
In Friday’s scrimmage, Daniel threw two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, hitting 93 on his fastball. Freshman Richard Fitts added five strikeouts in two scoreless innings and Elliot Anderson two strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
"I've liked, from Day 1, what I've seen from Fitts. The talent's there,” Thompson said. “The off-speed offerings getting down in the zone is still something I think he has to grow with. He's working with a new changeup that actually played well in this short two outings. Our hitters are just behind. They've seen the pitchers one time, and I expected that.”
Burns, who was throwing for the first time since an appearance for USA Baseball in Cuba this summer, allowed the only two runs of the scrimmage on a two-out single in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the second.
"His pitches were up a little bit,” Thompson said. “It was only two innings by design from Coach (Steve) Smith. It gave him a starting point to start growing. The arm checked out good and the ball came out of his hand really well.”
The Tigers will scrimmage Saturday at noon CT and Sunday at 3 p.m. All practices are open to the public. Auburn opens the season at Plainsman Park Feb. 15-17 against Georgia Southern.
BASEBALL NOTES
** The lineup for the visiting team Friday could be similar to opening day: 1. Ryan Bliss 2B, 2. Steven Williams RF, 3. Will Holland SS, 4. Edouard Julien 3B, 5. Conor Davis 1B, 6. Judd Ward LF, 7. Kason Howell CF, 8. Matt Scheffler C, 9. Brett Olson DH.
** Redshirt freshman pitcher Carter Bowen has left the team. He sat out last season with an arm injury.
** Will Holland was named preseason All-American by D1 Baseball and Perfect Game while Tanner Burns was named preseason All-American by D1 Baseball and Collegiate Baseball.
** Auburn is ranked No. 17 by Baseball America, No. 20 by USA Today and No. 22 by D1 Baseball.
