OMAHA | Auburn has a lot of veterans in its lineup. Just two of the starters are freshmen and one of those is actually leading the team in hitting during the NCAA Tournament.
Ryan Bliss is hitting a team-best .407 in six games during the Regional and Super Regional. His eight runs scored are tied for the team-high during that stretch, and he also has one double, one home run and five RBI.
“He’s certainly not playing like a freshman, that’s for sure,” said junior first baseman Rankin Woley, who is just behind Bliss with a .370 average. “Whether it’s on the field or off the field, he doesn’t act like a freshman at all. He’s very mature, very locked in and we can see that on the field. You get excited watching him play.”
Auburn hitting coach Gabe Gross actually considers Bliss his most consistent hitter throughout the entire season, which says a lot about a freshman who also has a .982 fielding percentage at second base.
“Just day in and day out, he comes to the ballpark and he’s going to get good swings and good pitches, for the most part, and he’s going to find a way to hit a couple of balls hard,” Gross said. “That’s been a daily occurrence for a long time now, and that’s pretty special for a freshman.”
Bliss swung the bat well right away but he didn’t have a whole lot a luck at first, hitting it right at defenders. It caused him to press a little early, but he’s come a long way since then and those hard-hit balls are finding holes much more often.
“I’m trusting myself and trusting my ability,” Bliss said. “I understand what I’ve been working on is going to bring me success. Just not trying to do too much. As the stage and situation gets bigger, I just try to do everything little and let the big things happen.”
It’s been a special first college season for the LaGrange, Ga., native, who is an important part of the first Auburn team to play in the College World Series since 1997. Bliss and his teammates practiced at TD Ameritrade Stadium Saturday afternoon for the first time.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid,” Bliss said. “To finally be able to step on the field out there, everything is amazing and coming true right now.”
Auburn will play Mississippi State Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
