AUBURN | Edouard Julien didn’t expect to play this season after three weeks of fall practice. Now, he leads all freshmen nationally and is tied for tops in the SEC with 50 RBI.
The Quebec City, Canada, native has helped energize an Auburn offense that has already hit 51 home runs, 21 more than all of last season.
“After fall, I thought I was not going to play and then to be able to be in the lineup everyday and help the team win, it’s very big for me. I’m glad I can do well for the team too,” Julien said.
Julien is hitting .285 with seven doubles and a team-high 12 home runs. It’s the most home runs by an Auburn freshman since Todd Faulkner hit 20 in 1998 and ties Anfernee Grier for the most by any Auburn player since Hunter Morris hit 23 in 2010.
His 50 RBI are the most by an Auburn freshman since current hitting coach Gabe Gross drove in 65 in 1999.
“He’s exceeding expectations,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “Now, we’re getting close to where we’ve played 50 ballgames. I don’t know if we can call any freshman a freshman anymore. It’s almost when do you graduate to the next step because you’ve got all these at-bats. Now he just looks like a ballplayer and one of our best hitters.”
Julien credited Gross for helping him take a big step forward in his hitting approach between the end of fall practice and the start of the season.
“In the fall I was a little bit scared or shy, I think, and I was not doing what I was supposed to do. I was trying to do too much, probably,” Julien said. “Gabe too, he helped me a lot. I’m just having a small approach, go oppo and all that stuff and just not try to do too much.”
Julien has also made a big transition off the field coming from the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec.
“I think we sounded like a Charlie Brown schoolteacher for the first three months, and he’s just in a culture change, but he has a natural feel to hit and that’s what guides him at the end of the day,” Thompson said. “Culturally, his connection, his communication has grown so much for him to be playing this well because his transition had to be bigger than anybody on our roster to be in the deep South and get settled in. He’s making a difference.”
TEAM NOTES
** Casey Mize was named SEC co-Pitcher of the Week, the third such honor for Auburn’s junior All-American this season. Mize tied a school record with 15 strikeouts in a 4-1 win over Vanderbilt Friday. He’s 9-2 with a 2.25 ERA and leads the SEC in seven categories including strikeouts (119), strikeout-to-walk ratio (17.00), WHIP (0.68) and complete games (3).
** In his first starts since April 24, Conor Davis batted .444 with four runs scored, two home runs and 10 RBI in three games against Vanderbilt. His towering three-run home run Sunday sailed over the scoreboard in left-center.
** Jay Estes went 8-for-11 (.727) in the Vanderbilt series with four runs scored, one double, three RBI and three stolen bases. Estes is batting .305 and leads Auburn with a .310 average in 24 conference games.
** After a 4-8 start, Auburn has won nine of its last 12 SEC games and is tied for second in the SEC West with Ole Miss with a 13-11 conference record, one game behind first-place Arkansas. The 16th-ranked Tigers play at No. 5 Ole Miss this weekend.
** Auburn, 34-14 overall, will host South Alabama at Plainsman Park Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on SECN+ and WatchESPN. Auburn freshman left-hander Jack Owen (2-2, 7.54 ERA) will face USA senior right-hander Will Eiland (1-0, 3.38).
