Butch: 'Great opportunity' at Arkansas

AUBURN | Another conference series, another Top 25 battle for No. 15 Auburn.

The Tigers travel to No. 8 Arkansas this weekend, one of a record 10 SEC teams that were selected in this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll. Auburn has already played No. 19 Texas A&M, No. 10 Kentucky and No. 22 Missouri, and still have series against Arkansas, No. 1 Florida, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 3 Ole Miss and No. 20 LSU.

After dropping two-of-three to Missouri last weekend, the Tigers enter the series 23-7 overall and 4-5 in the conference.

“I don’t feel sorry for our team. This is the hand we were dealt,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “We’ve just got to get back up and go play baseball and if we outplay Arkansas, we’ll win the ballgame.

“It’s time to play baseball. This is how you grow. This is how you get to the other side. Our program is sitting here and I don’t like where we’re at currently in a short stretch. But I believe in everything we’re doing and another great opportunity this weekend to go out and showcase ourselves and show everybody we are for real.”

The Razorbacks lead the SEC with 55 home runs and are second with a .311 batting average. Arkansas is also sixth in pitching with a 3.38 ERA and 14th in fielding with a .968 percentage. Freshman left fielder Heston Kjerstad leads the Hawgs with a .400 average, nine doubles, eight home runs and 31 RBI.

Arkansas is 21-9 overall, including a 16-3 record at home, and 5-5 in the SEC.

“We’re going to see great arms, we’re going to see an explosive offense and playing on the road,” Thompson said. “But we’re going to have to do this. We’re going to have to beat somebody people don’t think we can beat.”

First pitch Friday night at Baum Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. Saturday’s game will be 6 p.m. CT and Sunday’s finale 4 p.m. The first two games will be available on SECN+ and WatchESPN while Sunday’s matchup will be aired live on SEC Network.

TEAM NOTES

** Senior left-hander Andrew Mitchell and freshman right-hander Cody Greenhill both returned to action Tuesday against Alabama A&M and made the trip to Arkansas this weekend. They’ll be available out of the bullpen giving the Tigers some extra arms against a powerful Arkansas lineup.

** Auburn is batting .289 as a team, which ranks sixth in the conference, but just .206 in nine conference games. The Tigers have hit 31 home runs, which already exceeds the 30 they hit all of last season. Auburn is ninth with a 3.55 ERA and 10th with a .973 fielding percentage.

** Brendan Venter continues to lead Auburn with a .348 average but is hitting just .156 in conference games. Brett Wright is hitting .282 with a team-high seven home runs and 20 RBI. Steven Williams is hitting .300 with five home runs and a team-high 28 RBI.

** Conor Davis leads the Tigers with a .438 batting average (7-for-16) over the last five games. Edouard Julien is hitting .357 during that stretch with three home runs and seven RBI.

** Auburn’s weekend rotation of Casey Mize, Davis Daniel and Tanner Burns have combined for a 2.56 ERA in 112.2 innings this season. They have a 2.34 ERA in nine conference games.