Fall ball begins

AUBURN | With 138 days before opening day, Auburn opens fall practice Thursday with 18 newcomers and a lot of positions up for grabs.

The Tigers must replace starting pitcher Casey Mize, the top overall pick in this spring’s MLB Draft, along with another starter and top reliever, one outfielder and four of the five starting infielders from last year’s team, which advanced to the final game of the Florida Super Regional.

“I want us to not be complacent,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “With this ball club and 18 new players, we basically need to focus on the task at hand, the present of this fall and see how good we can get individually and collectively.”

Thompson and his staff have recruited well the past couple of years including bringing in four Freshman All-Americans last season. Those four — Tanner Burns, Cody Greenhill, Steven Williams and Edouard Julien — will help anchor this year’s team.

Burns and Greenhill will join junior Davis Daniel as three top returning pitchers from last season. After heavy work last spring and summer, both Burns or Daniel will be limited or won’t throw at all this fall. Greenhill, who had his tonsils out this summer, will pitch as he works to add a breaking ball to his repertoire in hopes of earning a spot in the weekend starting rotation.

Thompson praised the improvement of several returning pitchers including Elliott Anderson, Jack Owen and Ryan Watson, who is now throwing as a side-armer.

Eight new pitchers will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact including left-hander Garrett Wade from Hartselle (Ala.) High, Alabama’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and left-hander Brooks Fuller from Auburn (Ala.) High. Six of the eight are left-handers giving Thompson more lefties than righties on this season’s roster.

“There’s a lot of openings, a lot of slots that need to be filled,” Davis said. “Everybody is going to have their fair shot, so they need to give it their best. It’s going to be a great opportunity for everybody.”

Williams will move from right field to catcher and Conor Davis from left field to first base, opening up all three outfield positions this fall. Thompson is looking for sophomore Judd Ward to step up and win one of the corner spots while freshman Kason Howell is an early favorite to win the centerfield job.

After serving as a DH last season, Julien will work at third and second base this fall. Freshman Ryan Bliss and junior college transfers Rankin Woley and Everett Lau will also figure into the infield competition. One of those infielders could easily slide to a corner outfield slot as Williams and Conor Davis did last season.

Anchoring the infield will be junior shortstop Will Holland, who played for Team USA and was named the No. 3 overall MLB Draft prospect in the Cape Cod League this summer.

“I’m excited. We have a lot of talent that came in,” Holland said. “I love working with them. They help me get better, too. Teaching them what they don’t know helps me master my skills and keeps me humble.”

A new NCAA rule allows for fall games against other teams and Auburn will host Western Carolina Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. CT and Samford Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. Auburn will open the 2019 season Feb. 15-17 against Georgia Southern at Plainsman Park.