AUBURN | This weekend will be a big test for No. 25 Auburn.

The Tigers, off to an 8-1 start, will play in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series in Arlington, Texas against Ohio State, No. 8 Oregon State and Baylor.

It’s Auburn’s first road trip of the season and first games against Power 4 opponents.

“I think we’re playing three really quality ball clubs that have had success in the past and now,” said senior first baseman Cooper McMurray. “I think the big word for this weekend will probably be opportunity. Opportunity to showcase our skillset and an opportunity to play three really good ball clubs.”

With two weeks to go until the conference opener against No. 14 Vanderbilt, playing against SEC-like competition away from Plainsman Park will give the Tigers a realistic look at where they stand competitively.

The Buckeyes are just 1-5 on the season but that includes being swept at Arizona State and losses to Coastal Carolina and Alabama in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Beavers are 5-2, which includes wins over Indiana and Virginia, and losses to Oklahoma and Minnesota. The Bears are 7-1 with a similar schedule to AU.

“This will be three teams that will absolutely give us a dress rehearsal of what it’s going to be like playing on the road in our league. I’m looking forward to it,” said AU coach Butch Thompson.

“We’ll learn more about our ball club. That's why you take these trips. That’s why you create these experiences, to see if we can get connected and get on the road and keep trying to play some consistent baseball with maybe some different distractions and different scenery.”

Auburn will play Ohio State Friday at 3 p.m. CT, Oregon State Saturday at 6 p.m. and Baylor Sunday at 3 p.m. All three games will be carried on FloCollege.

THE ROTATION: Auburn will go with the same rotation as last week with Sr. RHP Samuel Dutton Friday, TBA Saturday and Fr. RHP Christian Chatterton Sunday. Junior LHP Cade Fisher, who started the season opener, is returning from a back/lat injury and could pitch or even start. “I would love for Fisher to get in there for an inning or two at least so he won’t have to wait a week and start back over. That would be the goal,” said Thompson.

GETTING CLOSER: Third baseman Eric Guevara could return from his minor hamstring injury at the end of this week or early next week. He is expected to travel with the team to Arlington. “He’s definitely a valuable player for us but I want him 100 percent,” said Thompson. “I want him to practice hard for a couple of days … We might see him on the back end of the weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not until midweek next week that we see him in a ballgame.”

SETTLING RIGHT IN: Three true freshmen have started or taken a big role in the lineup through Auburn’s first nine games including outfielder Bub Terrell, last week’s SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, second baseman Chris Rembert and catcher Chase Fralick. The three have combined for four doubles, six home runs and 21 RBI. “We need all those guys. It lengthens the lineup and makes us a good team, a threatening team,” said Thompson.

ICHIRO’S EXAMPLE: Thompson wants his players to develop repeatable routines that work on the road as well as home. He recently used Ichiro Suzuki, who was elected into the MLB Hall of Fame this year, as an example.

“You count his professional time in Japan and coming over for MLB and he had more hits than anybody in the history of professional baseball,” said Thompson. “They said, ‘What are you most proud of in your Hall of Fame career?' ‘That I was able to stick to my routine.’ That doesn’t mean you can just be good at home and be a great ball club. You have to travel.”