AUBURN | Dylan Watts is moving from the bullpen to Auburn’s Friday night starter.

The rest of this weekend’s rotation is up in the air as the Tigers will go with a whole-staff approach against No. 4 Tennessee.

“We’re going to take a different approach to maybe what you see in the midweeks when you use five or six guys and don’t feel bad about it,” said AU coach Butch Thompson. “I think that might be a recipe to find yourself again as a pitching staff.

“I’m thinking of this weekend as strength in numbers. I think it’s the right move and I think now’s the time to implement.”

In nine SEC games including eight losses, Auburn’s pitching staff has compiled a 7.85 ERA. Opposing teams are batting .331 with 21 doubles, three triples and 15 home runs.

Starting an eight-game homestand this weekend was the right time to shake things up with a staff that returned 80 percent of its innings from last season.

“You look at our staff as a collective, man, we’re so much better in numbers than we are individually,” said catcher Ike Irish. “When we take that approach into a weekend, I think we’re going to be really successful.”

Watts has a 2.77 ERA with one save in eight appearances out of the bullpen this season including a 3.60 ERA in two SEC appearances. The Enumclaw, Wash., native transferred to Auburn from Tacoma Community College before this season.

“He’s a guy we know that can throw two times a weekend,” said Thompson. “Win the first inning. If you can go out and win it, then you get a second. We’re really comfortable for him for three innings. If he can squeeze more out of that, that would be awesome. I do like the resilience in his arm.”

The series against the Volunteers at Plainsman Park gets underway Friday night at 6 p.m. CT and continues Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be carried on SECN+/ESPN+.

TAKING THE PRESSURE OFF: Both Chase Allsup and Joseph Gonzalez have served as weekend starters for most of this season. Thompson believes using them out of the bullpen could take some pressure off and allow them to focus on pitching.

“I think both those guys still have a chance to be part of it,” said Thompson. “They’ll be on the 27-man. So we’ll have every intention of those guys factoring in. I guess they both could still start, but I would expect them to probably throw somewhere in the middle.”

NEED YOU NOW: Senior left-hander Tanner Bauman was expected to be a key part of AU’s bullpen this season with the potential to pitch twice a weekend in key situations. But Bauman has struggled and enters this weekend with a 4.61 ERA in 12 appearances including a 10.38 ERA in five conference games.

“We need to get Bauman going again,” said Thompson. “If he can’t give us two or three innings a weekend, that makes it more challenging for us.”

FRESHENING UP THE LINEUP: Freshmen Eric Guevara and Cade Belyeu are playing their way into Auburn’s regular lineup. Guevara, who returned from ACL surgery in just six months, started at third base in Wednesday night’s game against UAB. Belyeu has a single, two doubles and a home run in his last four pinch-hit appearances.

“We think Belyeu and Guevara have a great future in our program,” said Thompson. “Right now, we’re going to keep committing to Guevara, and Belyeu seems to have a hot hand right now being able to come into a game and impact it. The future is now for those two guys.”

THE TIME IS NOW: If Auburn, 1-8 in the SEC, is going to turn it’s season around and be more competitive in the conference, it needs to starting winning series soon. AU started 5-10 in the SEC last season before finishing 17-13, but has more ground to make up this year. After hosting UT this weekend, Kentucky will visit next weekend as AU begins an eight-game homestand.

“Been on the road two of these first three weeks so it’s going to be awesome to be back home for this week and next week,” said Thompson. “We’ll try to make the most out of trying to scratch and claw and try to get back in the middle of things in this league.”

ROCKY POP: After losing 2-of-3 at Alabama to open SEC play, Tennessee has won the last two series over Ole Miss and Georgia to enter this weekend 5-4 in the league. The Vols lead the SEC with a .332 average and 80 doubles, and are second with 73 home runs. UT is fifth in the conference with a 3.73 team ERA and seventh with a .976 fielding percentage.