Newcomers energize infield competition
AUBURN | Third baseman Bryson Ware and shortstop Cole Foster were both selected in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Second baseman Caden Green, in his first season after transferring from junior college, batted just .211 last year.
Clearly, the infield is a priority for Auburn baseball this fall with the exception of first base and catcher where veterans Cooper McMurray and Ike Irish return.
“I'm thankful that the transfer portal existed to be able to get some guys,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “We lost our two high school guys in the first and second round, and these guys have just become more important each and every day.”
The Tigers added three transfers and a talented freshman to compete for the three positions including Miami-Ohio graduate transfer Cooper Weiss, who began his playing career at Coastal Carolina.
Weiss batted .303 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs, 17 stolen bases and 46 RBI. Perhaps more importantly, he had a .989 fielding percentage at shortstop.
“Everyone has their own identity as an infielder. Basically, you compete off each other,” said Weiss. “I think it also goes without saying that Karl Nonemaker is a great infield coach. That has just been shown year in and year out.
“So I think the level of respect with the middle infield that’s coming in and Coach Nonemaker and the whole coaching staff as a whole and everyone’s skill level and their identity as a defender, I think, we’re not going to skip a beat.”
Junior Deric Fabian, a Florida transfer, had a huge summer in the Cape Cod League batting .352 with two doubles, five home runs and 20 RBI in 28 games.
Senior Javon Hernandez, Jacksonville State transfer, led the ASUN with a .397 average and added 11 doubles, three triples, seven homers, 11 stolen bases and 49 RBI.
True freshman Eric Guevara, who projects as a shortstop or second baseman, has also impressed during early workouts.
Along with Green, Auburn also returns junior Brody Moss and sophomore Gavin Miller to provide even more competition in the infield.
“A Deric Fabian transferring from Florida is somebody that has experience,” said Thompson. “I think about Cooper Weiss that made two errors in Division I baseball last year at the shortstop position. I think about even a freshman that we have, Eric Guevara, who has just absolutely blown our socks off. A guy that's shortstop and can play a little bit of third base.
“Really, when you have three shortstops of the caliber that I'm mentioning. Hey, somebody can win it. Not all three guys can play short. Somebody can move to third. Somebody can go to second base. You still talk about the returners you have, like an everyday starter in like a Caden Green that's directing traffic and showing them the Auburn way.”
Auburn will play two 7-inning exhibition games at Alabama Friday night beginning at 5 p.m. CT.